Jennifer Craw & the Coming of the Four Horsemen 20
by jcwriter
Summary: Four wizards out of the haunted past plot to help each other's twisted goals of power, conquest, vengeance, and indulgence. Possessing knowledge even Mallus Craw himself feared, will they cause history to repeat itself? Or will it simply be erased?
1. Snapshots

_A/N Welcome to book twenty of the Jennifer Craw Series, hope you are having a good holiday, and Happy Yule! The series starts with Jennifer Craw and the Phoenix Wand (and it takes a bit of a detour with three short stories in the middle) in which canon and original characters alike have evolved along with the stories themselves. If you don't mind series with tons of in depth original characters and haven't read them before, I hope you'll give it a go. Lately, I've finished another edit on my master copies of these for typos etc especially in this last series, but it will take me some time to get it all uploaded. In the meantime, here is the first promised chapter of book twenty, which is going to end up much larger than the last three books, for it has a lot of character development to cover and a plot line that is going to trickle into a flood through the course of the story. Leu will head to Hogwarts...and so will Quintin! Lucky enters her last year, yet another new DADA professor, and we'll find out why Aurelius has been so concerned about Alex in recent years. But a lot of this book will also be focused on the four villains and their accomplices... the whys and why-fors, and in some ways the differing levels of evil that exists in all men...or wizards... or vampires, as the case may be. This is one of the story concepts I had been considering since the first series, so there will be plenty of cameos and tie-ins. At the very least, I hope you plan on reading it and that you like it. With any Luck, it'll prove to be an exciting and sometimes thought provoking book._

_Edit notes 9-2011: General cleanup of language, typos, and the normal first round boo-boos that come from the first time around publish._

* * *

Jennifer Craw and the Coming of the Four Horsemen

Chapter One

Snapshots

It was a warm summer day, but the breeze twisting around Azkaban was biting cold. It was bright and sunny, but inside the prison there were cellblocks where light never seemed to travel. Despite all of the changes made over the years to improve its quality, Azkaban was no less a prison than it had been for hundreds of years.

The prisoner heard the locks being unlatched, but continued his game of solitaire. It was not visiting day and he was not interested in visitors anyway. The head guard on that particular shift was also not the friendliest of wizards and wasn't known for giving out any sort of helpful information. In short, as far as the prisoner was concerned, the guard was positively useless.

"Post!" shouted the guard, and the prisoner heard something being slipped under the door. The prisoner kept on playing his game. "You might wanna read it this time," Hinge sneered through the tiny barred window. "I think from the stamp on the envelope that your parole has been denied again."

"Then why would I care to read it? Nothing has changed in the world since I left it nor do I expect it to change," the prisoner said, studying his cards. "So if you're waiting around to gloat, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I am quite content to spend the remainder of my life here."

"If you can call it a life," Hinge snorted. "By the way, the Falmouth Falcons beat the Wasps again." The prisoner let out an annoyed groan, and the guard snickered softly and continued on his rounds.

The prisoner continued playing his until the cards ran out and then pushed the tiny table away from him because he had gotten too big to get out of the chair any other way. Getting to the floor also posed a problem as well, but he found with a little work he could lean on the nailed-down chair and use his foot to get his mail far enough up the wall where he didn't have to climb on his hands and knees to get it. It was a laborious task but anything was better than giving Hinge yet another reason to mock him. Finally he succeeded in acquiring the newspaper and nodded with satisfaction; it wasn't like anything else in that pile was worth reading anyway. He stepped on the letter from the Ministry of Law Enforcement, grinding it a bit with his heel before finding his seat again, muttering to himself.

He immediately began sifting through the pages, looking for the right section. Ever since the ridiculous articles had begun to circulate containing outlandish and unbelievable accounts of "Snape's visit to the Otherworld," he had gotten away from his habit of reading the paper from cover to cover. Rather, he decided that such inconsequential world events were beneath him and went straight for the sports page to find out just how many merit badges he had lost to other inmates this week. But as he was sifting past the social page, he caught the sight of an article that made him raise his eyebrows.

"Oh no, not another one," he said when he saw the birth announcements. But then his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, intently studying the photo of wide-eyed baby in the arms of an elated Jennifer Craw, surrounded by other family members. "What is this?" he murmured to himself, studying the picture carefully.

"Say eels!"

Another flash went off and Quintin closed his eyes, not impressed at all with the flashes when Jennifer held him up to the camera.

"Are we quite done with the photos for one day?" Severus sighed disapprovingly from where he stood well behind where Ben and Corey were holding their cameras.

"We did promise Sally Kingler a few photos, Severus. Aren't they brilliant? They really are brilliant, aren't they?" Jennifer said ecstatically when Ben let her see the digital versions of the photos they were taking.

"Now, Severus, you can humor her a little longer," Thomas said in an almost doting tone. "I wouldn't mind a picture with the lad myself."

"Of course we can do that! And then I'll have to change him for his nap. Do you like the robe I made for him out of the glassilk, Dad?"

"I like the baby blanket better. The prism affect is too much to be decent for a boy's robe, Jennifer. I prefer the grey robes I got him," Thomas grunted, gazing at his grandson critically. Quintin simply yawned.

"Oh all right, perhaps after his nap we'll put those on him and sneak one more picture," Jennifer chuckled softly. Corey and Ben both sighed at that, and then grinned at each other's reaction before taking another pair of photographs of him and his grandfather.

Severus turned around in resignation, walking into the kitchen where Alex was busy preparing drinks.

"Are you actually attempting to be helpful or are you simply in here to hide?" Severus asked knowingly.

"I'm surprised Ben isn't back here hiding as well. He says that grandfather has shown up here every single day since Mum brought Quintin home," Alex said, stepping out of the way so he could get himself some coffee.

"I think he deserves some leeway, Alexandria. After all, he didn't really get to hold any of you during your first few months on this planet, and then only through a set of magic fields," Severus said.

"He has Jay and Rus and all his other great grandchildren to make up for that," Alex said with exasperation.

"I would imagine that for him the children of a granddaughter is a different relationship compared to the child of a daughter he himself had a hand in raising… as fond of Jay and Rus as he is, this one is a little more personal. He is hoping that just like Maurice brought new meaning to his life, Quintin will do the same for us," Severus explained quietly.

"New meaning," Alex repeated skeptically. "I think the only meaning I see for the two of you is not knowing when to stop."

"Don't tell me you're trying to reason with her again!" Thomas said in exasperation from the doorway, rolling his eyes as he walked over to the icebox. "She isn't going to listen, you know. She won't be capable of understanding this until she gets another twenty years under her and her children get to the age when they start wondering why they should even bother with her… then she'll get it. Where are the bottles?"

"There's a fresh one made up in the door," Severus pointed out.

"Oh," Thomas said, grabbing the bottle. "Answer me this, Alex. When was the last time you saw your mother this happy before? Have you ever seen her this happy before, outside of a short burst of emotion now and again?"

"Well, no…"

"No, you haven't, and neither have I. I'd even go so far as bet that even Severus hasn't seen her this happy before," Thomas ventured.

"No, I have not," Severus admitted.

"There are reasons for that, you know, countless reasons," Thomas said, holding the bottle in the pan for a few seconds. "There was always a shadow hanging over the four of you from the moment that you were born. Even Corey, Lucky and Leu have shadows they brought with them when they became a part of this family. And those shadows have a way of affecting your parents more than they ever affected you. But this time there is no shadow. After seven losing battles, they finally get a chance to find out what it's like to raise a child without all that extra baggage attached. Can you truly blame her for being happy?" Thomas asked, shaking the bottle a couple of times before taking it into the next room. Alex sighed, watching him leave before looking back over at her father. He seemed to be lost in thought where he stood with his cup in hand.

"Are you happy about this?" Alex asked him bluntly. His eyes shifted back to her.

"Yes," Severus said simply. "Although I do leave room for practicality, such as the fact that we really ought to be getting packed for our trip tomorrow. Moving a baby from point A to point B seems to take hours of prep work. I wonder if Leu has begun packing yet?"

"He retreated to the attic just after breakfast," Alex said.

"Well, that's quite understandable. After all, the house has been teeming with people since we returned home. Come to think of it, if I had the luxury, I'd be hiding along with the rest of you," Severus admitted. Alex chuckled softly at that.

"Where are you going, Severus?' Jennifer asked with exasperation when she saw him cutting down the hall.

"I am going to make sure that Leu is getting packed," Severus said.

"I don't suppose you'd consider leaving this little man home with me while you four are gone on your boating trip?" Thomas asked as he fed the bottle to Quintin.

"Not a chance, Dad. This one won't be leaving my side any time soon," Jennifer said with conviction.

"Not that I blame you," Thomas grunted. "But for right now, he's mine."

Alex stood in the kitchen door, her frown deepening as she looked into happy scene in the living room. As Ben put the camera down and went to grab up Rus, she completely lost the desire to watch anymore and decided to finish the drink and work on what her excuse would be for leaving early that weekend.

Upstairs, Severus made his way up the ladder and rapped his knuckles on the trap door. As he pushed it open, a glossy brown frog stared back at him, croaking a challenge. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Move, Copper. Do I look like an intruder?" Severus scowled. After a long pause, the frog hopped away from the trap door.

"She's very protective," Llewellyn observed.

"That silly frog acts more like a dog than an amphibian. I don't know what they were thinking about at Eeylops when they trained the thing…"

"I didn't get her there. I got her in Hogsmeade," Leu reminded him. "You don't like her, do you? That's why you gave her to me after Christmas."

"I gave her to you to look after, Leu, because I already have two demanding familiars. Anyway, it's the thought that counts, after all, and she does seem to take to you more than she does to me in any case," Severus said.

"I've been reading up on her, and I think I know what breed she is now. I think she's a crab-eating frog. They're from Indonesia, and they can secrete stuff out of their skin to protect them against salt water," Leu said.

"Oh?" Severus said, suddenly showing more interest. "I wonder what sort of alchemist properties that might have…" Copper suddenly croaked with alarm and jumped over to Leu who grabbed her up and held her protectively.

"As if I would do anything to harm a family familiar," Severus sighed, climbing the rest of the way up.

The attic had been finished with plain polished boards that created a large open space in three-quarters of the room, while a smaller section at the far end had been reserved for a small roosting area for flying familiars whether theirs or dropping off messages that needed a place to rest for a bit or get out of the weather. Near the wall of the Owl section were neatly ordered boxes, all labeled with things from 'Yule holiday' to 'Jay's winter clothing' to 'phials, beakers, and bottles.'

The rest of the attic had been made to order; a room all Leu's own. There was a simple bed with unfinished oak shelves underneath for storing folded clothes and linens, and a small matching end table kept neat with only a lantern upon it. A small basic desk housed a puzzle of an old fort that they had bought in Florida the year before, as well as a second lamp with a shade of colored shells. The watercolor shade spun when it was lit, filling the walls with wavy shapes, imitating the movement of the ocean. In the corner in front of the bed, several ropes had been tied at different heights and all of his ironed clothes hung from them (Leu, it seemed, was allergic to closets) and beside it sat two bookshelves; one filled with books, but the other filled with Leu's shells and chipped plates and bells and candlesticks and other curious pieces that he had taken a particular liking to after saving them from the sea.

"Have you all but packed for tomorrow?" Severus asked.

"Mostly. Where are we going? Do we know for certain yet?" Leu asked.

"I believe the Merrows anchored her near the Alboran Sea, off a small island there."

"That's near Spain, isn't it?"

"Yes, and Morocco. I imagine we'll be making stops in both over the next couple of days, knowing your mother."

"Oh, I don't mind playing tourist a bit, although really I'd much rather be offshore," Leu admitted.

"I know exactly how you feel, although I would prefer to spend my solitude on the boat. I'm not fond of crowds, either. Has your potion wallet been filled?" Severus asked.

"No, sir."

"Fine, let me take that downstairs now, then," Severus said, pointing towards his suitcase and making him dig it out. "I am going to put an extra water breathing potion in yours. I know you don't need them, but I would rather have extra stashed in case of emergencies. If your sister goes diving with you, don't forget yourself and go off without her or go deeper than she can handle, and definitely do not lose track of the time. I know that she is older than you and is aware of her limits, but if you go swimming off without her she is more than likely going to forget those limits in efforts to keep you out of trouble."

"We can stick close to shore then," Leu sighed. "But can I do some real diving with the Merrows as well?"

"We will see. I won't promise anything until we know more about the local weather and shark population," Severus said sternly. Leu nodded solemnly in response. "We won't be leaving straight away tomorrow, so don't feel like you need to get up at the crack of dawn this trip. I have a couple of interviews I have to conduct in the morning for a new Defense instructor, and Fortuna is going to work a couple of hours tomorrow at the bank before we leave."

"What a rotten job to have, working at the bank. I'm surprised they let her have the time off," Leu said, handing him the potion wallet.

"They had no choice, really. I made certain this trip was in her contract," Severus said unconcernedly.

* * *

It had sounded like a good idea at the time.

Despite her full schedule, Lucky had realized before the end of last term that a summer job was in her best interests. Not only would it get her out of the house and away from possible babysitting duties, but Lucky had been encouraged by Singh to take a hard look at the numbers. It didn't take long for her to figure out that college was going to run her even more than she expected if she planned to live on campus. Not that she had to, of course; but after the hard time she had convincing Jackie she was better off getting out on her own and didn't need all the distractions of trying to live at home, the last thing she wanted to do was change her mind. So Lucky took it upon herself to head to Gringott's to discuss possible short-term investment options for her trust vault… and walked out with a job at the Exchange counter instead. The goblins had discovered a long time ago that it was a lot easier for their 'disadvantaged' Muggle-born customers if they kept a witch or wizard teller available to answer coin conversion questions, and it didn't take long for Griphook to realize that despite her human condition, Lucky didn't miss much when it came to discussing money. Within an hour after she had gone, Severus arrived to negotiate employment.

It wasn't the fact that she had to work hard that bothered her; she had been expecting that. It wasn't the fact that they had a dress code, which, it seemed, was ten times stricter with their human employees than it was with their goblin counterparts. It was the code of conduct that drove her up the wall: to provide customer service with a smile, cater to all clients, especially the rich ones, and never, ever let them know what one's _real_ opinion is on a subject, regardless of what they say, and most especially before they have handed over their money.

It took two salary deductions and an incident that nearly got her fired before Lucky finally adhered to the policy, and even then, it had taken Boulderdash's intervention before she actually agreed to it.

"What might seem hard to you is nothing compared to what some of the goblin tellers have to endure every day behind those counters…why else do you think it pays so well? If you doubt me, I dare you to spend one of your days off observing the tellers," Boulderdash suggested. "And marvel as I often have how they manage to keep their knives from becoming unsheathed."

Lucky knew without even attempting it that Boulderdash was probably right, but she did find herself more aware of it after that. A momentary tension would pass through; and tellers who didn't have customers would often look warily towards certain wizards and witches as they entered and went about their business.

One of them, unsurprisingly, was Byron Nelson, but fortunately he didn't seem to use the tellers often. Nearly always he would send his House Elf or a secretary instead, while he walked straight to the back room away from all the curious glances on the floor. Abraxus Coventry earned an odd glance as well, as polite as he seemed on the surface, as did Dirk Atchison's father on the rare occasion he entered the bank at all. Minister Plumeria Plum always insisted that every receipt be tucked in an envelope so that she never had to touch theirs directly; and many of the goblins would emit soft groans when Amadeus Longbottom entered at the end of the week, withdrawing sizable sums of coins that seemed to vanish into thin air by Monday.

She was at the point where she had to force herself to keep from staring at the clock when a tall familiar figure walked up. With a smug look on his face, he straightened the bill in his hand with a couple of exaggerated tugs and then put it on the counter.

"Another fiver?" Lucky asked, unimpressed. "Why do you always bring me a fiver?"

"Don't know. I like Elizabeth Fry," Dale improvised.

"Don't bring me a Darwin, I might break a nail on the change drawer," Lucky said sarcastically.

"Well, we wouldn't want that," Dale agreed.

"Do you know how little five pounds is worth these days? It's barely worth my time!" Lucky complained, pulling out the change.

"Hm. You know, I'm not sure. Perhaps you ought to explain the exchange rates to me in more detail?" he suggested innocently.

"Miss Snape, are you arguing with a customer again?" a withered but well-dressed witch asked just as Lucky was about to threaten him with bodily injury.

"He's not a customer, Mrs. Box. He's my boyfriend," Lucky snorted.

"I have a vault on level two," Dale confided to the old witch.

"If he has a vault on level two, he is most definitely a customer, and even if he wasn't, one doesn't talk back to a boyfriend who has a vault lower than yours," Mrs. Box said with amusement.

"I don't care about the money!" Lucky snapped.

"Since when?" Dale said with a half-laugh.

"I don't care about _your_ money. I care about mine," Lucky explained.

"If you play your cards right, it'll all be the same thing eventually," Mrs. Box tittered. Lucky turned bright red, while Dale simply grinned from ear to ear.

"Can I help you with anything else?" Lucky said in annoyance.

"Lunch?" Dale suggested.

"We're leaving the country right after I get off work, Dale."

"I know. I bought you something for your trip," Dale said. Lucky sighed.

"You know I hate it when you…"

"Miss Snape? You have another customer," Mrs. Box said sternly. Lucky blinked in surprise and then peered behind Dale to see a House Elf standing there with his arms folded, pretending to ignore the conversation in front of him.

"I'll meet you at the Cauldron," Dale said quickly, excusing himself. Lucky turned back to her work, preparing to count several bags of galleons that the Elf had placed in front of her. Chuckling softly at the discontent look on her face, Dale wandered out of the bank and went to buy a book at Flourish and Blotts to keep him occupied while he waited.

Then he went to the Cauldron and ordered a house brew, making his way to one of the smaller tables. As he sat down, he was a little surprised to see Professor Snape over at one of the other tables speaking to a dark-skinned wizard of the same height but a more muscular build. And although the man wore formal robes, Dale noticed that he wore badges on his arms that seemed to be some sort of military insignias. Military insignias? Since when did the Professor hang out with that crowd?

"Of course we _knew_ about what was going on here, dear fellow, but I was only a cadet back then; and even then it was always considered an internal matter. Our business is on the world stage."

"And Ciardoth wasn't a world threat?" Severus asked calmly.

"And what would you have had us do? Bomb the old girl?" the officer chuckled. "We all have our duties to home and country, Professor. Yours is to protect our interests here, while the Royal Broom Force protects the country's interests abroad. I may not have been able to do much about Ciardoth or um… well, that other problem before that, but the fact that we have flown high and far to defend this country against invasions from other countries must account for something! It isn't easy, you know, breaking into the private sector after so many years… but I do have years of defense and survival training, and experience in passing that training along, sir."

"It isn't your credentials I question, Commander Bellamy. If anything, they contain exactly what I was looking for in a new instructor, and I also admit the idea of seeing a military approach in the Defense against the Dark Arts roll intrigues me. However, I do have some reservations about your being a bit…" Severus made a slight face, trying to find a more diplomatic term but then gave it up. "A bit out of touch, at least as far as what we've been facing on the ground over the last few decades you've been in the service."

"If I am, it is a sacrifice I willingly made for God and Country, sir. But now that I am a civilian and no longer a servant to my broom, I shall do my best to keep my feet on the ground," Bellamy said sincerely.

"As long as your attention is on the ground as well. You'll need to get caught up and fast if you expect to do well at Hogwarts," Severus warned.

"Does that mean you intend to offer me the position, then, sir?" Bellamy asked.

"I like the idea of your adding some of your survival training course into the curriculum, provided it stays within school rules. I am of the opinion that the world in general has been getting complacent of late, and perhaps this will at least insure the students don't get that way," Severus mused.

"Oh, don't worry, sir. I assure you I will be able to keep them on their toes," Bellamy said confidently.

"You also might want to invest in a snoop device of some sort in case they're trying to keep you on your toes," Severus suggested. Bellamy raised his eyebrows at that, but Dale immediately got the hint and tried to concentrate on his book.

"Hey, you," Lucky said when she came up behind him a couple of minutes later, acknowledging her father with a wave before sitting down. "You almost got me in trouble again. If Tornfang hadn't gotten called away at the last minute just before my shift was up, I probably would have."

"Sorry, Marie," Dale said sincerely. "I just wanted to give you a going away present is all," he said, taking out a small jewelry box. Lucky frowned, gazing at him warily. "Oh, don't worry, they're just earrings," he assured her. She relaxed somewhat, reaching for the box and opening it.

"Aw, how cute," Lucky said, taking a closer look at the tiny gold earrings. Each one was shaped like a tiny sandal, with a token amount of diamond dust on them as if they had sand on them.

"I had them charmed so that you can't get sunburned while you're wearing them, but if you put lotion on you will still get a tan," Dale said.

"That's handy. You didn't spend a lot on these, did you?" Lucky squinted.

"No, no, I went to Mariced's for them. You can question them about it if you like," Dale chuckled.

"It's okay, I trust you. I just wanted to be sure, that's all," Lucky said.

"I wouldn't give you anything that I thought you might be uncomfortable with, Marie," Dale reassured her.

"It's not me I was worried about," Lucky said in a much lower tone. It didn't take long to figure out why she lowered her voice, however, for Severus stepped up to the table.

"We need to be going soon," Severus reminded Lucky, squinting at the box.

"Yeah, we know," Lucky said, putting on her earrings.

"Those weren't expensive, were they?" Severus asked bluntly.

"No, sir. I got them at Mariced's," Dale repeated solemnly.

"Hm. Well, let's not get carried away, shall we? Lucky, I am finished with the interviews, so I am going home to get ready to leave. You should be thinking about it as well."

"I'll be home in five minutes," Lucky promised.

"Fine," Severus said, making a point to check his watch before leaving. Lucky rolled her eyes so dramatically that Dale couldn't help but to chuckle at her.

"I guess I'd better go," Lucky said reluctantly. "I need to pop over and turn in some work with Singh too. I wonder if Dad had any luck with those interviews today?"

"It sounded like he found someone for Defense," Dale said.

"Oh, yeah? That was quick. Is it anybody good?" Lucky asked curiously.

"I guess that would be a matter of opinion," Dale chuckled. "Let's just say that I'd be looking for a way to get out of that last year of Defense, if I were you."


	2. Ben's Dilemma

Chapter Two

Ben's Dilemma

It had started out a bad morning, and it only got worse. An influential client had somehow managed to get a virus on his computer after clicking on a "How to lose weight in ten minutes while sitting at your desk eating popcorn" link, and the entire office was put to the task of plugging the security leak. Amongst the grumbles and groans it was hard to get anything done at all, especially with his boss storming around the office reminding them that if all people made 'backups,' most of them would be out of work.

It had been a grueling task; one team was put on restoring the lost business data while Ben's team was busy searching for any and all loopholes they could find in the code, and all under the ultimatum that it had to be done by midnight.

Just about the time that his boss was telling them there would be no lunch breaks out of the office that day, Ben heard his sons crying and looked over in surprise to see his nanny standing there in a floppy witch hat and frumpy black dress. In each arm was Jay and Rus, both crying with strange neon orange polka dots all over their arms and faces.

"It's the Tangerine Spots for certain, Mr. Clemmons," Mrs. Mention said worriedly when Ben hurried over and took Rus from her. "I tried to contact the missus first, but the Ministry says she hasn't been in all day."

"She tends to move about these days," Ben sighed.

"What is going on over here? And isn't a bit early for Halloween?" Ben's boss said, eyeing Mrs. Mention warily. The nanny raised her chin indignantly.

"Mr. Clemmons' children are ill, sir," Mrs. Mention declared.

"Ill? It looks more like someone had a bit of fun with some colored markers."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Barks, but I really should get them home before someone here catches anything and everyone in the office is sick. I can finish this from home as easily as here, and as you can see from their crying, they really aren't feeling well," Ben said.

"Perhaps it's just from eating too much candy or something," Barks said, eyeing the eccentric nanny.

"Not in my house," the nanny said hotly.

"Actually, it's worse than that. I think they have Swine Flu," Ben improvised.

After that, Mr. Barks couldn't get them out of the office fast enough. Ben grabbed his jump drive and coat and soon he and the nanny were carrying them both out to the car, both of them still whimpering and crying unhappily.

"Do you always fib in front of your children like that, Mr. Clemmons?" the nanny tsked when they got out the door. "Swine Flu indeed… and you know as well as I that Muggles don't get Tangerine Spots."

"It got me out of that office, and right now that's all that matters," Ben said.

Cordially the nanny helped him get the two children into the car, despite the fact that she refused to have anything to do with getting in the contraption herself. So Ben soon found he had to fend for himself; from the ride to St. Mungo's, to the tedious wait with two unhappy children in the waiting room, to the long ride home.

The boys were crying all the way up to the door, which curiously didn't want to open for him. Putting the screaming boys down long enough to struggle with the key to get in, Ben finally pushed the door open and picked them back up, all while carrying a bag of potions between his teeth. Somehow he managed to get to the parlor, dropping the bag of potions on the couch.

"Mercy! We're home early!" Ben called out, but got no reply.

Dumping both the boys into the pen in the front room, he got his first look around the house and felt an unexplainable chill in the air. There was also a terrible banging noise coming from the basement. Ben quickly went into the hall and found himself staring at a bronze beak sticking out of the reinforced basement door.

"What in blazes? Descartes!" Ben shouted, looking for a doorknob that didn't seem to be there at the moment. "How in the world did you get stuck in there?" he asked. The beak retreated back out of the hole and Descartes began crying out. It was followed by a loud, yawning noise that could only be a very irritated Rasputin. "You must have gotten in Mercy's way again. Hang on… Mercy!" Ben shouted again, walking back into the living room and opening the bag to read the labels on the potion bottles. He walked into the kitchen, but nothing seemed to be moving.

"Darcy!" Ben called out, and immediately a House Elf popped into view.

"Yes, Master Benjamin?" Darcy said.

"Could you let Descartes out of the basement? He seems to have been magicked inside," Ben said, grabbing a pair of spoons out of the drawer. "The boys are sick, so I could use a bit of help. Did Mercy go to the market?"

"No, sir. It's laundry day. She has been changing the linens in the master bedroom, sir," Darcy explained before walking into the hall to let Descartes out. "Shall I fix the door as well, sir?"

"Yeah, thanks," Ben said, somehow managing to get a spoonful of the foul-smelling potion in each of the boy's mouths.

"I want Mummy!" Jay shouted in a tantrum after he recovered from the taste.

"I'm working on it!" Ben protested, grabbing his cell phone and pressing the speed dial. He waited a moment, plugging his other ear so he could hear the automatic message being played on the other end. "Out of service area?" he wondered out loud, and then heard a loud crash. "Now what?" Ben sighed, running out into the hall.

The door of the bedroom had been torn off its hinges from Descartes' effort to get inside of it. He then stood just inside the room, cawing out a cry of alarm. After several failed attempts at getting the bird to calm down, Ben shouted at Darcy to lock him back in the basement again.

"All right, what was he going on about? Mercy, are you in here? Darcy, was anyone with her?" Ben asked, turning up the gaslights.

"No, sir. None of the other House Elves have permission to go in there, sir," Darcy explained from where he stood outside the doorway. Ben edged inside the door, no more comfortable about being in there than Darcy was, but nothing in the sitting area seemed out of place. Reluctantly he stepped in further but then stopped in confusion when he saw that the bed had half its covers torn away and the sheets were still partially on the bed.

"That's not like her," Ben said with a frown. He glanced around the rest of the room, but nothing else seemed out of place. "Mercy?" he called out desperately. He heard only the two boys sobbing and Descartes complaining about being locked in the basement again.

"God, I hope I'm not overreacting," Ben said to himself. As he turned to walk out, he found Rasputin lying on the busted door and eyeing the room warily. "You don't think I am overreacting, do you? Neither of you do," he said. Rasputin kept gazing at him with his glass eye. "Either way, I could really use some help over here. Darcy, could you go ask Aurelius to drop by? Then I need you to go see if you can find out where Mercy went."

"Yes, Master Benjamin," Darcy said, quickly disappearing.

It was only ten minutes later that Aurelius arrived, and after taking one look at the two boys he sent a flame to Ginger.

"How long has Mercy been missing?" Aurelius asked.

"She served us breakfast this morning, but I haven't seen her since. Darcy said something about her going down to change the linens…"

"All House Elves report immediately!" Aurelius snapped. Immediately the front room was full of them, and Aurelius quickly scanned them, but Mercy wasn't among them. "Wait, there are ten of you here. I thought there were only eight of you counting Mercy? Oh, wait… Francie is here, from the castle."

"I followed Master Severus, sir. There is no one to cook for during the summer holiday, sir," Francie explained.

"Well, who are the other two?" Aurelius asked.

"My daughter came of age to serve, sir, Ellie, sir, and her friend Mopps," Francie said.

"He followed me home, sir," Ellie giggled.

"Well, as long as Mum knows about it," Aurelius said. "We can't be picking up stray House Elves from everywhere."

"I would have chucked him had he not been right for the household, sir," Francie said indignantly.

"Never mind. Anyone know where Mercy went?" Aurelius asked.

"She went down to do the linens in the Master Bedroom, sir," Ellie said.

"And where were you?" Aurelius asked.

"We were doing the other bedrooms, sir," Ellie said.

"What time did you last see her?" Aurelius asked.

"After we started, sir, perhaps an hour after Master Benjamin and the young masters left," Ellie said.

There was a brisk knock before Ginger let herself in, giving the House Elves only a cursory glance before walking over to where Ben sat on the couch with the boys, taking Jay into her arms.

"Thanks, it's been crazy today," Ben said. "And I haven't been able to get a hold of Alex."

"Let's get these two into some jams and settled. Rel can take care of that," Ginger said.

"Thanks, although if Mercy just went to the store or something, I am going to be deeply embarrassed," Ben said, getting up.

"I doubt Descartes would have broken down the door if she had just gone to the store," Aurelius said, stepping into the hall. Immediately he heard a challenging hiss and walked over to find Rasputin still lying on top of the dislodged door.

"What happened, Rasputin?" Aurelius hissed.

"Bird broke door," Rasputin explained.

"I can see that. Why?" Aurelius asked.

"To get to the smelly Elf," Rasputin explained.

"Mercy?" Aurelius hissed with a frown. Rasputin lay there for a moment, thinking.

"Smellier," Rasputin hissed at last.

"Was the smelly Elf in this room?" Aurelius asked.

"Bird thinks so. I was in basement. I am not allowed in here." Rasputin hissed, laying his head back down on the door.

"Basement?" Aurelius murmured with a frown and opened the basement door. Descartes started cawing out loudly and enthusiastically.

Aurelius moved out of the way to see if he went back to the bedroom, but Descartes didn't seem to be agitated any longer. Instead, he walked down the corridor and up to his perch in the library. After studying the bird's behavior, Aurelius went to the basement to have a look around. Dissipating a cloud of fumes that had developed, he inspected the broken glass and bottles around the floor and sighed, glancing at the supply shelf.

"Rel?" Ginger called out, coming halfway down the stairs and taking a quick glance around. "The boys are settled and I gave Ben some advice on what to do if they start to turn purple. Need any help down here? Was anything taken?"

"Hard to say. From the looks of it, Descartes probably bumped the shelf in attempts to get at the intruding Elf," Aurelius said, carefully stepping back over to the stairs. "I think I'll come up and check the bedroom. See if you can get a hold of Alicia, she might be able to get a lead on where Mercy went."

"Maybe she can figure out where Alex went to as well," Ginger suggested, stepping back up the stairs ahead of him.

"I can guess where Alex went," Aurelius said, shaking his head. He then ended up running into Ginger, who had frozen at the top of the stairs in confusion. "What?"

"The door," Ginger said. Aurelius came up the stairs and peered down the hall to see that it was fixed. "Do you suppose one of the House Elves fixed it?"

"I'm not sure," Aurelius said, going over to the door, inspecting it for a moment before opening it. The first thing he noticed was Rasputin lying on the rug, quite content and apparently not at all put out for shirking his guard duty chore. "How did the door get fixed?" he hissed.

"The Elf fixed it," Rasputin explained. "Can I have a mouse?"

"Which Elf?" Aurelius demanded.

"The not-as-smelly Elf. The Elf that cleans my box," Rasputin said.

"How would I know which Elf cleans your box?" Aurelius hissed.

"Is my box clean yet?" Rasputin asked.

"Did you find out anything?" Ginger asked from the doorway.

"He said the Elf that cleans his box fixed the door. How would I know which one that is?" Aurelius asked.

"Well, there's been a House Elf in here for certain. Ben said that he realized Mercy was missing because the bed was left in a state, and yet now it looks as if it is made up, clean sheets and all," Ginger said.

"Wait a minute… Mercy is the only one allowed in these rooms…" Aurelius said with alarm.

"Did someone need me?" said a voice from somewhere around them.

"Mercy! Where have you been?" Aurelius asked with exasperation.

"Cleaning the linens, Master Aurelius. It's laundry day. Did I miss something?" Mercy asked as she appeared. Rasputin hissed. "Yes, your bed is clean too," Mercy agreed, and Rasputin slowly worked his way out of the room.

"All right, Mercy, so you were doing laundry. Where were you before that?" Aurelius asked.

"In the kitchen with Francie, making breakfast…"

"No, I mean after that. Where did you go when you got interrupted?" Aurelius said. Mercy gazed back at him unsurely.

"You mean now when you called me, sir?" she asked.

"No, before that…"  
"Did Mercy do something wrong?" Mercy fretted. Suddenly another House Elf appeared out of nowhere. Darcy took Mercy's arm triumphantly.

"I found her!" he declared. "She is right here!"

"Thanks," Aurelius said sarcastically.

"You are not allowed in this room!" Mercy snapped at him. Gasping, Darcy disappeared again.

"Mercy, where did you go when you left the house?" Aurelius asked.

"When I left the house? You mean yesterday?" Mercy asked, puzzled.

"Not yesterday, today. Just a few minutes ago," Aurelius said impatiently.

"I didn't leave. I was doing laundry, Master Aurelius," Mercy said. "Did you need anything washed?"

"Then why didn't you come when I called?" Aurelius asked. Mercy's eyes went wide.

"Mercy did come when you called. Mercy always comes!" Mercy protested.

"Rel, you're upsetting her," Ginger murmured. Aurelius sighed.

"Sorry, Mercy, we'll let you get back to work, I suppose," Aurelius said.

"I'll make you some tea, sir," Mercy offered immediately and disappeared.

"That was really odd," Aurelius said, glancing over at Ginger.

"It's as if she didn't even remember leaving," Ginger said. Aurelius squinted.

"But can memory charms even affect them?" Aurelius asked.

"I'm not sure about spells, but it might be possible to modify fairy nip to do something like that. Think I should try a blood sample?" Ginger asked.

"Yes, let's take care of that now while we know where she is," Aurelius said, pulling a mirror out of his pocket. He gazed at his own expression grimly for a moment before finally concentrating on his father's image. Ginger went into the kitchen and got out small kit out of her work jacket, then managed to convince Mercy to sit down long enough for her to draw a small phial of blood.

"This will only hurt for a second, Mercy," Ginger said when she noticed Mercy's soulful gaze.

"What did Mercy do wrong?" she asked with a frown.

"Mumsy left the house when she was supposed to be doing the linens, Mumsy," Francie explained concernedly. Mercy's eyes widened.

"Mercy did not leave the house! Mercy was doing the Master Bedroom and the basement, Mrs. Snape! Mercy would never leave the family before her work is finished!" Mercy protested.

"Mumsy did leave. Mumsy was lost," said Francie solemnly.

"No Mercy wasn't, Mercy was downstairs," Mercy said, shaking her head. "Mercy would not leave her family when Mercy is supposed to be here."

"We know that, Mercy, it's not your fault," Ginger reassured her. "It's okay, you can go back to work now." She looked up helplessly towards Aurelius he walked back in. By the time she looked back, both House Elves had disappeared.

"How is she?" Aurelius asked.

"Confused," Ginger admitted. "She didn't believe me and I don't even think she believed her daughter when we explained she had been gone."

"I got in touch with Father and he'll be coming back as soon as he can. Looks like Mum is going to get an extended holiday, though. Tangerine Spots would be dangerous at Quintin's age, and no one is certain if Leu has had them," Aurelius said. "I just checked on Ben; the boys are sleeping at the moment, so now would probably be a good time to head back to the Ministry. I have some inquiries of my own to make."

"You have some ideas on what this is all about?" Ginger asked curiously, carefully putting the phial in her kit.

"Yes," Aurelius said. "And none of them are good."

Aurelius wasted no time, dropping in at his grandfather's office before he went over to Harry's, spending several minutes in the back room with him discussing the matter. Laura Lupin watched them enter Harry's office with interest and then drummed her fingers on the desk until the door opened again and the two of them walked out together.

"Sorry, Laura, I'll be back in a few. If anything interesting happens on the flag board, you know what to do, right?" Harry said.

"Yes," Laura said dully, and then slumped in resignation when they left. She found herself alone with her dark wizard monitoring task, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was a real part of the job or something they came up with to bore new recruits to death.

"So do you think it might be him?" Aurelius asked in a low voice as they entered the hall.

"You obviously do," Harry observed.

"No, but I'm afraid it might be. He's gotten a lot bolder since Nelson started digging his claws in…"

"I don't think Longbottom's gotten bolder, Rel, he's a train wreck waiting to happen. Nelson is just playing it for all it's worth," Harry said.

"We seriously need to find a way to get him committed. Did you see his new girlfriend? If you can call her that, considering where he found her," Aurelius said. Harry nodded somberly. "He's trying to pass her off as a secretary these days to help hide what he's been paying her."

"It would have been hard to nail him with anyway. He could have passed the payment off as 'personal gifting' or something…"

"Not with my testifying, it wouldn't," Rel said.

"And he'd get a slap on the hand and a fine he wouldn't sneeze at and be back home tomorrow," Harry said bluntly.

"You're right. I'd rather he be put away in a more permanent fashion," Aurelius said darkly. "What happened to me?" he asked with frustration, and Harry raised a brow at him. "The main reason I wanted to become an Auror was to prevent people like Malfoy with getting away with murder so long. And here I find myself shackled with the same rules, regulations and morality codes that they must've gotten caught up in back when I was a kid…"

"Well, you can always go rogue like your grandfather did and start taking them out on your own," Harry ventured.

"And look at where he is these days… he's behind the desk being one of those making all these regulations…"

"True, Rel, but at the same time, he has done more for justice reform than anyone else, you know…"

"I know," Aurelius sighed. "But we need to find a better way to get these people behind bars than what we're doing, Harry. Right now playing by the rules is a disadvantage, and they're completely using it against us. It's not easy to think outside the box like Moody always taught us when we're bogged down with regulations."

"I think you're looking at it the wrong way, Rel," Harry said calmly. "In fact, it almost sounds like you're looking at it like a Gryffindor." Aurelius stopped short.

"What?" Aurelius snapped.

"I mean it's time you started thinking like a Slytherin again, Rel… to be honest, you're more benefit to me and the department if you did. You're right, you know, that we haven't been able to get anything on Amadeus and that Thomas has had similar luck trying to get his hands around Nelson's throat, and it is because we have restraints that they don't and we've placed them on ourselves," Harry said. "It's time we took those bureaucratic shackles off, and not just because of Longbottom, either," he added, tapping his shoulder for good measure. "If we're going to get those two, we need to start fighting fire with fire, and stop letting ourselves get stopped by technicalities. Justice first, remember? And we'd better act fast if someone is harassing your parents again."

"I agree. We've got to find out what happened to Mercy as quickly as possible, regulations or no regulations," Aurelius said.

"That sounds more like the Rel I know," Harry said with a smile as the two of them turned into the main corridor. Just then, they heard a pair of dragon roars that stopped them both in their tracks. "Speak of the devil… I wonder what he's doing here?"

"I don't know and I don't care. Let's find out where he is so I can eyeball him about what happened to Mercy," Aurelius said, and rolled up his sleeve, glancing at the dragon on his arm. "That way, towards the LE department." The two of them hurried down the corridor.

"I suppose it'd be too much to ask for him to be here to turn himself in," Harry said.

"Even he's not that stupid," Aurelius said, another snarl erupting from the dragon tattoos as the two of them closed in.

"I don't care how unlikely it is! I want you to look into it!" came the voice of Amadeus through Thomas Craw's open door. "This was an intentional assault, and there has to be some sort of special charge for this other than a 'criminal potioning' charge!"

"Technically that is what it was," Thomas said calmly.

"It was more than that!" Amadeus snapped. "It has changed my life forever!"

"Mr. Longbottom, most criminal acts against any witch or wizards changes their lives forever… like yours changed my daughter's life, for example," he added coolly.

"So that's it," Amadeus said angrily, clutching his cane. "That is why you won't do anything about this."

"Mr. Longbottom, whether or not I would personally prefer to clean the floor with you rather than look at you or not is beside the point. The doctor's report states that whoever potioned you must have done it at some earlier date, and I have absolutely nothing to go on other than the fact that someone seems to have taken exception to the idea of you ever having any children," Thomas said.

Aurelius and Harry glanced at each other and turned to leave when Adler Bosworth walked in, nearly bumping into them as he was looking over a scroll in his hands.

"Oh, good afternoon, Harry. Aurelius, I believe your wife is looking for you. She said she had some tests done in the lab for you to look over," Adler said distractedly.

"We'll head there now, then," Harry said.

"Harry? Is that you skulking about outside my door? Come in here for a moment," Thomas barked. Reluctantly, the two of them walked into the office with stoic looks on their faces, while Amadeus was eying both Thomas and Amadeus warily. The low growling noise became persistent, almost like a hum, but if Thomas noticed it, he made no sign. "Mr. Longbottom came to see me over a dire matter, it would seem. He brought a report from his doctor because he is now sterile from an apparent potioning incident."

"Oh. Sorry," Harry said solemnly.

"You are?" Thomas asked in surprise

"Well, no, but I always try to be polite to everyone when I'm here in the office. Of course, out in the field it's another story," Harry said evenly.

"Don't waste your efforts on politeness, Potter. It's better spent just getting the job done," Thomas advised. "Anyway, we have no evidence, no idea when this could have happened, no idea of what container it was in, and definitely no potion sample. There is nothing that shows anything happened, other than the fact that the doctor states that Longbottom received an 'effective' dose of Oat's Scythe at some point. For all we know, he could have simply taken it himself and forgot about it," he said acidly. Amadeus gazed back at him stonily.

"That isn't the sort of thing one normally forgets," Adler ventured.

"Stranger things have happened," Thomas said icily, but then seemed to shrug it off. "We may not be in a position to do anything about it, but I'm willing to put in some preliminary work just in case whoever did it is fool enough to give himself away somehow. Adler, why don't you comprise a list of everyone who may have a reason to render our 'esteemed' Mr. Longbottom impotent… make sure I'm on there… and we'll go down the list and see if who the likeliest suspects are. Once you have it, get with Aurelius. You don't mind a bit of cross department work, do you? I want to eyeball everyone on the list and see if you can't pick anything up."

"Sure," Aurelius said.

"Fine. Adler, get to work. Longbottom, get out of my office before I have to have it fumigated," Thomas said with distaste.

"Before you go, Amadeus," Aurelius said, taking a step in front of the door. "You wouldn't happen to know what might have happened to our family's House Elf? She was waylaid this morning and came back with a strange memory lapse." Amadeus stared at him.

"First off, I was at the doctor's office all morning, and even if I wasn't, what would I care one way or another about a waylaid House Elf? Furthermore, I am sick of you and your family dogging me about something that I served my time for when I have gone out of my way to avoid your family ever since. Not once have I ever crossed the restraining order or had anything to do with your family in any way other than situations like these where it's unavoidable. Back off, Snape, or I swear your department will be dealing with a defamation lawsuit," Amadeus said.

"Let him go, Rel, he's not worth the trouble. He's lucky I'm concerned enough about this potioning incident to have Adler look into it," Thomas said tiredly.

"All the same, I think I'll pay a visit to Minister Malfoy to make sure he knows about it in case any of you…"

"Forgets?" Harry finished evenly. Scowling at him, Amadeus stormed out of the room. Adler sighed and followed him out.

"I take it from your restraint that he didn't know anything about Mercy," Thomas said.

"No, he didn't know what we were talking about. He was simply angry about his personal situation and having to deal with people he didn't like," Aurelius said.

"Such is life. I deal with people I don't like every day," Thomas shrugged. "Never mind Longbottom, you both have enough to deal with. Adler can handle him, that's what I pay him for. Just find out what happened to Mercy."

"We'll go check and see if Ginger has any news for us," Aurelius said. Thomas simply nodded before returning to his paperwork as a sign of dismissal.

When they arrived at the lab, Ginger was casually chatting with her lab assistant from where she was leaning on a cabinet on the far side of the room. The conversation broke off when Aurelius and Harry came in, and the assistant quickly began to clean up some of the lab equipment.

"There you are. What took you so long?" Ginger asked.

"We ran into an old friend," Harry said dryly.

"Amadeus was in the building. Don't worry, he's gone now," Aurelius said, when he saw Ginger's expression. "Find anything?"

"Oh… yes, but just a trace… a bit of tainted fairy nip, as I expected, only something fast acting…"

"Fast acting?" Harry asked.

"Meaning, it wasn't any sort of imbibed potion; it had to have been inhaled. It would have caused a quick affect but also wouldn't have lasted long," Ginger said.

"How long?" Aurelius asked.

"Long enough to knock her out for a few minutes for sure and leave her disoriented, and fast enough to work its way through her system just as quickly. In fact, if I hadn't suspected it was some sort of tampered nip from the start, I probably would have missed it," Ginger admitted.

"So whatever happened to her must have happened just before Ben got home," Aurelius concluded.

"Whoever sent that other elf probably expected the house to be empty," Harry said. "Considering that typically Ben would have been gone for hours, and everyone else is abroad. Had it happened any other day they might have gotten away with it."

"Yes, but gotten away with what? What were they looking for?" Aurelius asked.

"And did they succeed in getting it?" Harry asked in return.

* * *

Ben looked up forlornly from where he sat by the computer in an attempt to get some work done with Rus passed out in one arm and Jay hanging on his leg, pouting and blubbering to try to coax his father to pick him up as well. Aurelius stepped into the room with Ginger not far behind.

"Any luck?" Ben asked anxiously.

"I've left messages at both the International Department office and Muggle Affairs, she's bound to get one of them," Aurelius said, while Ginger moved around him and took Janus over to the couch to settle him. "I'm going to head down to the basement and have a closer look around."

"Your father is already down there," Ben said, attempting to scroll through his work without waking Rus.

Sure enough, when Aurelius went downstairs he found Severus meticulously going through a testing tray of broken phials and bottles that he had carefully removed from the floor and was busy inspecting the pieces with a gloved hand. He was intent on his work despite the fact that Descartes had made a perch on his shoulder and had refused to budge off of it, regardless of the direction in which Severus moved.

"Isn't that painful?" Aurelius commented.

"Yes," Severus said curtly. "But I have a few spells going to keep things under control. Was anything moved down here?"

"I think Mercy cleaned Rasputin's box before she realized that anything had happened," Aurelius said, glancing over at the floor the stove. He couldn't see the box itself for Rasputin was lying on top of it, crunching away at something contentedly. "Humoring him too?"

"They have had a trying morning," Severus said defensively. "None so trying as Mercy's morning, not that I have had much luck of convincing her of that. I was able to convince her to help me look for anything odd in the bedroom, but neither of us have found anything missing. Nothing was touched in the library, and as you can see, I am in the process of going through this room, but it is going to take some time to figure out if anything is missing in here between the broken bottles and the fact that I haven't taken summer inventory yet."

"I didn't know you kept anything rare in here," Aurelius said.

"I don't, although I am concerned that someone might have been looking for something specific, so I also have Hermione going through the school. So far the Elves, ghosts and security paintings have nothing unusual to report. I'm going to go and check some things at Hogwarts myself once I've finished here. I'm also going to have Sirius drop by and double-check security and find out why that House Elf got through," Severus said.

"It's not like it's the first one. When I counted the House Elves when this all started, it looks like you picked up a stray or two," Aurelius said.

"Jennifer did say something about one of our House Elves finding a mate, and that does happen from time to time, but the security is designed to allow for that. That said, I highly doubt that any of our elves would invite one into the house was in any way malevolent, they are nothing if not loyal," Severus said.

"Unless somehow she was tricked into letting the other elf in somehow," Aurelius pointed out.

"Possibly, although it would be unlike Mercy to do so," Severus said. "I do know that whatever they were after that they will probably not try that route again now that we are on our guard. But it would be a lot easier to anticipate their next move if we had some idea of just what it was that they were looking for."

* * *

Alexandria arrived quite late that night carrying a large bag, pausing in the doorway to gaze questioningly at Ben. He was sitting by the computer with his head propped up in his hand in complete resignation, staring at the screen without really looking at it.

"I'm here! I came as soon as I got the message… what is with you? Don't tell me they turned purple or something!" Alex said.

"No. I missed a work deadline," Ben said tiredly.

"Oh, is that all?" Alex said, rolling her eyes. "Where are my babies?"

"In the pen, but please don't wake them, Alex, I've had a hard time getting them asleep…"

"You make them sound like they're an inconvenience," Alex scowled at him, leaning down and putting a hand on them to check on them.

"It is an inconvenience at one in the morning," Ben said grumpily. "And where have you been that you just now checked in? I tried everything from Owl, office, cell phone and email at some point today."

"Out working, of course…"

"Somewhere that cell phones don't work?"

"Obviously," Alex said.

"Until this hour?"

"Look, I know you have had a bad day, but I'm not going to let you use that as an excuse to interrogate me about every little thing I do when I'm working. It isn't my fault that I'm not here, you know…"  
"I never said it was," Ben said with a sigh.

"Then stop it, you'll wake the boys up," Alex said, gently tucking Janus in. "I brought them some toys and things to help them feel better."

"Well, that's great, Alex, but nothing is going to make them feel better like seeing you when they wake up tomorrow," Ben said with a smile. Alex turned around in surprise.

"You mean you want me to stay?" Alex asked.

"Of course I want you to stay…"  
"But it's the middle of the week!" Alex protested.

"I don't think that's going to matter for a couple of days, do you, Alex? I need you here. I've got to go try to straighten things out with my boss tomorrow, and their nanny won't be able to take them when they're sick. Besides, it's late. You'd be better off staying," Ben coaxed.

"Yes but… well, if you must know, I wasn't planning on it. I rushed straight over here the moment I got your message and left a lot of things hanging at the office that I really need to get back to…"

"It's almost two in the morning, Alex," Ben said flatly.

"Yes, I know. I'm really tired too. Look, let me square things away tonight, especially if you need me to watch the boys tomorrow, that way I'll be free to come stay. Really, Ben, you know I plan things around the weekend…"

"Obviously."

"Well, it isn't like I can actually do anything right now by staying, is it? The boys are sick whether I'm here or not," Alex argued, giving him a brisk kiss. "I'll be back first thing in the morning."

"Good night," Ben said with a sigh.

"Don't worry, I won't be late this time," Alex promised as she went out the door. Ben waited until he heard the door close before he slumped into his computer chair, watching his boys sleep while too tired and depressed to do so himself.


	3. Nightcaps

Chapter Three

Nightcaps

"It is an acquired taste," Wingard du Foncé admitted, gently swirling the blood wine near his nose while gazing over his other guests. The room was dim, but the candlelight that was present had a way of catching the red of his eyes and reflecting it back. "Balance is the key, to add the right amount of tempered wine to thin the blood; just enough to keep it smooth without distorting the taste of the blood itself. Rather, it is used to enhance it, complement it… an addition rather than a subtraction. It's best at room temperature, of course, although I myself find it is also quite pleasant a few degrees warmer."

"To each their own, my dear Marquis," Abraxus chuckled. "And although your private label is uncontested in the specialized area of blood wines, I admit to fancying some of your other labels more… especially your most recent addition. This newest one you've debuted tonight is nothing short of superb."

"A bit bitter," Amadeus commented thoughtfully after tasting it himself.

"It would be for you. Mr. Longbottom has long favored dessert wines," Byron Nelson said evenly. "The red ones, of course," he said, ignoring the dark look Amadeus gave him. "This new white wine of yours has a faint nutty flavor, and an interesting hint of smoke as well," Byron decided, holding it up to the candelabra. "It also an interesting tint to it; a white wine without being too light."

"I do not create light wines, Lord Byron, it goes against my nature, after all," the vampire explained politely. "White wine was never a true interest of mine until this new strain of grapes was developed. They're best harvested at night, and afterwards not a hint of sunlight must touch it, else it spoils the flavor… that is why I went with the black opaque bottle for this one."

"I think it will do well, Marquis. What are you calling it?" Abraxus asked curiously.

"Nightshade," Wingard said.

"I rather like it, but aren't you afraid your clientele might think it is poisonous with such a name?" Abraxus asked.

"If they doubt my reputation for wines, they probably shouldn't be drinking them," Wingard said calmly. "Unless they're victims, of course."

"Do you have any new cursed or enchanted wines coming out as well?" Amadeus asked, a great deal more interested in the conversation.

"As a matter of fact, I do, and one specifically that might interest you, although I'm afraid that particular vintage isn't open for tasting. We wouldn't want any accidents," Wingard said with a hint of amusement.

Abraxus shook his head as he watched the two of them and several other interested guests go over to a table near the back. Exchanging quick pleasantries with a couple of the other wizards he recognized, Abraxus wandered over to where Nelson was standing, watching those in the back of the room thoughtfully.

"Rather open, isn't he? He is going to end up getting into trouble the way he is going," Abraxus murmured worriedly.

"Do you mean Longbottom?" Nelson asked quietly.

"Who else? He's the only one in the room who has a tendency to be indiscreet…"

"Far from the only one in the room," Nelson warned, and then pointedly paused until Damon Platt and Hephaestus Grey passed by on their way over to have a few words with the Atchisons near the red wine selections. "There's no reason to be concerned. After all, all of those wines are legal if self-imbibed…"

"As if that were their purpose!"

"No, but I see no reason to interfere in his recent distractions. If anything, it has made him much easier to keep in line," Nelson said calmly.

"Perhaps, but I have heard he has the goblins grumbling about his personal expenses. If he's not curbed soon, there is going to be very little of Malfoy Industries to salvage," Abraxus whispered.

"Who is being indiscreet now?" Nelson warned him. "Abraxus, concern yourself with our investments, and less about investments that I may or may not have with others. I assure you it will be to your advantage. Careful, here comes our host again."

"I have another vintage for you to try, gentlemen," Wingard said.

"Yes, and we saw which table you got that from, thank you, but no," Nelson said.

"Its charm only affects women, Lord Nelson. I assure you it is quite safe for us to drink, and you'll find it has an excellent flavor. I have made limited quantities of this blend for years now; it is called the Black Rose," he said, offering Abraxus a glass.

"I do like rose wines," Abraxus said, putting his nose in the glass. "Very fragrant. A bit musky, but not in an unpleasant way."

"Dare I ask what sort of affect this stuff has on women?" Nelson said, sniffing it suspiciously.

"It makes them a bit more open to suggestion, as long as it's reasonable," Wingard said. "It's mild enough not to be easily detected, and as with all my wines is worth purchasing just for its superior vintage."

"I quite agree, it is very nice, not that Lynn needs that sort of persuasion, of course," Abraxus chuckled softly.

"You already have all the persuasion you need, Abraxus, and the majority of it is in your vault in Gringotts Bank," Nelson said, taking a cautious sip. "What truly matters is whether or not the label is profitable," he said, pausing as Amadeus walked up to join them. "Anything else we may need or desire can be easily acquired through those assets."

"Spoken like a true banker, Lord Nelson, although I have found from my personal experiences over the centuries that money only goes so far. Gold does not always equate to true power," Wingard said.

"I would suppose that would depend on what one's definition of true power is," Abraxus said.

"Yes, perhaps it does," Wingard agreed tolerantly. "But I have found that money is a lot easier to acquire than power. Money is simply a matter of having enough time to build it. Power can be more elusive. Enjoy the wine, gentleman, that bottle is three times your age."

"Was that some sort of an implied insult?" Abraxus murmured to Nelson as Wingard moved away to speak to other guests.

"Does it truly matter, considering whom… or rather what… that remark came from?" Nelson pointed out quietly in return, watching as Wingard went over to a different group of men.

"Careful, he's coming over," Damon said, and the three men standing with him glanced up as Wingard slipped over to them.

"Enjoying the wine tasting, gentleman?" Wingard asked.

"That, and the presence of your discriminating guests," Arnold Jeffers replied.

"There would be no point to indulge my love of wine to those who would not appreciate it, and I am hoping to improve my reputation in this community without undue unpleasantness."

"I admit that my appreciation for your wines has gone up," Atchison replied. "But there are many who will never see you as anything but a vampire, and who feel that you see us as nothing more than assets in your food bank."

"True, but they are still drinking the wine, I see," Wingard said, pointedly looking at Atchison's own glass. "Don't care for it, Mr. Gamban?" he added, noting that Gamban's glass was nearly full.

"I tend not to drink much in public, but I have been trying each one, Marquis," Peter assured him. "Actually, I was wondering if there was any chance I can speak to you alone for a moment?" Atchison and Damon both stared at Peter as if he were quite mad. "It's about a business proposal of sorts."

"Is it?" Wingard mused. "Then why do I suspect that whatever it is you have in mind is likely to be more beneficial to you and not to me?"

"Well, it isn't my proposal exactly," Peter admitted. "But it wouldn't be offered unless it were mutually beneficial."

"Very well, I admit you have me momentarily intrigued…" Wingard began. But suddenly he paused and whipped his head around with a strange expression on his face. "I'll discuss the matter with you later. Perhaps we can make an appointment."

"Actually, that would have been needed anyway," Peter said.

Wingard nodded distractedly at him, but his eyes were fixed at the windows and doors. Then he saw mist around the door and focused in, walking over to it and opening it to find a tall black-haired vampire standing in the doorway without any intention of coming in.

"Your presence is demanded at the Clan's hollow immediately," the elder vampire stated. "Our father has come to a decision as to whom he is bringing into the inner circle this evening. You are required to attend… and bring an appropriate gift."

"An appropriate gift? At this short notice?" Wingard scowled. The vampire peered in, glancing at the full room.

"You have a full larder, Brother Wingard."

"None suitable for that. Fine, I will go fetch something and be over as soon as possible," he hissed.

"Do not tarry too long. The Reverent does not like to be kept waiting," the elder said.

The elder seemed to simply dissipate away, the mist quickly rising and drifting down the hall and out a side window. Sighing at the inconvenience, Wingard slipped down the hallway in the other direction to the kitchens and grabbed the arm of his servant, a vampire girl who apparently had died at a fairly young age. "I need you to go in there and babysit the stock. Entertain them as you will, but do _not_ feed off any of them."

"Yes master," the girl said, dutifully leaving the room.

He frowned as he watched her go, wondering if she truly had the mental capacity any longer to stave off the urge to bite if it overtook her. Well, it couldn't be helped at this point, he knew. He would just have to risk it. There would be no getting out of a direct summons, not that he would want to miss this summons anyway. A position finally opened in the Reverent's inner circle and he had, if nothing else, taken over territory that had established him as a leading contender for the position. Quickly flipping through his black book of Morsels, Wingard Disapparated.

Many of the clan were already present when he arrived several minutes later, some huddled in wolf packs while others waited in small groups or close to where the inner circle gathered. In the center of the circle in a blood red cape stood the Reverent himself; Rafe, who immediately gazed around with interest when he sensed Foncé's presence.

"Ah, there is Wingard," Rafe said with a thin smile and a flash in his eyes.

"Father Rafe," Wingard said, laying the unconscious girl he had brought down near the elders. He couldn't help but notice that two others with impressive embroidery on their robes had also brought tribute, although neither had quite as many stitches as he had. "Ah yes, another 'apparent runaway,' is that it? Penned by her own hand and left on a made bed, no doubt," Rafe said. Wingard did not miss the hint of criticism in his tone.

"I prefer to keep my territory clean, father," Wingard bowed.

"Clean, perhaps, but also a bit gutless," Rafe ventured. Wingard squinted slightly. "I admit to being disappointed in the fact that you have been continuing these sorts of methods, just as I am disappointed in your choice of tribute no matter how young and full of life they might be. You see, I was under the impression that when you boldly took over that particular territory that you might be bringing a different caliber of meal to the table. And yes, I understand your regular hunting grounds are far north of your home and are adequate as far as your personal needs are concerned, but I would think that someone hoping to serve me and the clan in a higher position might bring something better than his normal fare, tonight of all nights especially. Why have you never brought one witch or wizard to indulge me?"

"They have been watching me carefully since I first arrived, Father."

"You were watched in Paris, Wingard, and under Maxime's eyes, yet you still managed quite well."

"I have brought better tribute since then, Father," Wingard snapped in a stern tone that made some of the elders frown disapprovingly at him. "In Paris, I also did not have to deal with the fact that in Hogsmeade people do not stay 'missing' for very long, thanks to the talent of a certain painter…"  
"Yes, what of that, Wingard? Why is it that you have failed to bring Pyther and the Snape girl to me, when they were both once yours to claim? It would seem to me that the logical thing to do would be to make them disappear quickly, and hopefully in a way we might all enjoy," Rafe said.

"Her family has other ways of tracking her…"

"Are you intimidated by your food, Wingard?" Rafe challenged him. Foncé quieted down. "And I thought I knew you better. Bear witness, my elders. It is evident now that Wingard is too spineless to become your equal. We shall welcome Karolek to the inner circle tonight."

"What? But I have several centuries and thousands of stitches on him!" Foncé snarled angrily. "And his fare tonight and in general consists of picking up the street trash in Amsterdam!"

"Do you dare question my judgment?" Rafe whispered dangerously.

"I find it strange that you would question me to such an extent and not question him, yes, Reverent," Foncé snarled. "The fact of the matter is you are not turning me away so much because of my offering as the fact that you see me as a rival!"

The other elders began to move but Rafe put up a hand to calm them, his red eyes staring fixedly at Foncé.

"To be a rival, Foncé, you would have to be equal to me, which is something that you will never attain," Rafe said evenly. "But if you mean that I think that you are far too ambitious for my liking, my answer would be yes. It is past time for you to learn your place, Wingard. You may be a lord among the living, but you will never be a lord among the unliving. Return to your place," he ordered.

There was a heavy silence in the hollow until Foncé finally retreated to stand among the wolves, his fists clenched and his eyes flashing in anger as he watched Karolek join the elders and made a feast out of the three offerings while the rest of them waited in case anything was left to drain after the fact. But even as Foncé and the wolves were called forward, he stood in the same spot and watched from a distance, furious enough to maintain a subtle protest but not foolish enough to try and make another move that night. There would be other times, he swore to himself. There would come a time when they would all bow to him.


	4. Giving Leeway

Chapter Four

Giving Leeway

Tangerine Spots or not, Lucky had no choice but to return home on time because of her job at the bank. It had been a somewhat reluctant departure; not necessarily because she didn't want to come home as much as the fact that she simply didn't want to work again. But after being reminded by Jennifer more than once what the penalties were for not fulfilling her end of the contract, Lucky soon found herself grasping the key that took her to the front door of the Baker Street house.

The door opened in front of her, and Lucky blinked in surprise when she saw Sirius Black standing on the other side.

"Don't tell me he's got you putting in even more security?" Lucky said when she saw the meter in his hand.

"Right now I'm just checking it," Sirius sighed, closing the door for her before he began inspecting it again.

In the front room, Alex was pacing restlessly while Jay and Rus were busy trying to get off a pair of magical mitts that kept them from trying to itch their spots. She looked up curiously to see who was at the door, brightening visibly when she saw who it was.

"Hey, Lucky! Do you want to babysit? I'll pay well," Alex bribed.

"I got a shift in a couple hours," Lucky explained. Alex immediately slumped. "What's the matter with you, anyhow? Used to be you'd jump at the chance at seeing your kids this early in the week."

"I have a job just like you do, Lucky, a job that really needs me right now," Alex explained.

"More than these two?" Lucky asked, then noticed that Rus had wandered towards the kitchen and made a beeline towards the icebox. "Hey, have they been fed?"

"Um… I think Ben gave them breakfast before he left for work. That was only a couple of hours ago…"

"Yeah, but they always get a snack about now," Lucky explained.

"If they were hungry, they would have told me," Alex said with annoyance.

"Kids don't always use words to communicate, Alex, especially these two," Lucky said, helping Janus climb up onto one of the stools by the counter.

"Well, maybe normal kids don't use words, but mine do. Isn't that right, Janus?" Alex said.

"Juice please!" Janus agreed.

"I'm getting it, I'm getting it," Lucky sighed. "Hey, you! Get out of the drawers, I can get that." Rus walked away from the icebox carrying an apple, apparently pleased with himself.

"Aren't you going to get one for your brother too, Rus?" Alex asked. Icarus frowned and tried to hand the apple to his brother.

"They always share it," Lucky explained, taking the apple from him and cutting it into four pieces. "If they didn't, we'd have a whole larder full of apples with single bites taken out of them."

"Well, that isn't very nice. You shouldn't ever do that," Alex frowned at them.

But the boys had missed some of the conversation, and since they weren't exactly sure what it was they weren't supposed to do, they looked over at Lucky anxiously until she set down their juice and gave them each two pieces of apple.

"I need to go unpack and get a shower in and get ready for work. You got this, right?" Lucky asked.

"That's very funny! You almost act as if I don't know how to take care of my own children!" Alex scowled. Shrugging it off with a sigh, Lucky went upstairs.

It wasn't long before there was the sound of someone at the door again and Rus immediately got up to check it out. Jay debated it a moment, looking between his snack and his mother before getting up himself.

"Are you done already? That's only your Uncle Sirius, you know," Alex told him.

"Daddy!" Rus declared from the hallway, and Jay took off. Alex folded her arms in irritation and then noticed the time.

"What, is that all?" Alex murmured. She was going to go find him when Jay ran in to snag an apple off his plate. "Sit down when you're eating, young man!" Jay glanced between his apple and the stool forlornly.

"Hey," Benjamin said glumly as he walked into the kitchen carrying Rus and putting him on a stool. Jay immediately put his hands up.

"I'm so glad you're back. I've been on the shells with work all morning! How did you manage to get off so early?" Alex added curiously.

"I got sacked, Alex," Ben said, giving Jay a hand up and glancing at their plates. "Wow, did you make this yourself?"

"It's not like it's a big deal…"

"Well, you could have had them take their mitts off," Ben said with a chuckle, helping Jay with his.

"Never mind that, why were you sacked?" Alex said.

"Oh, I missed a deadline last night and we lost an account. And when Mr. Barks tried to write me up for it, I gave him a piece of my mind and told him where to stuff it. The man has no sense of priority," Ben said grumpily.

"Yes, well, it's not that big of a deal, is it? Half of your income ended up going to the nanny anyways…"

"You're the one who insisted we get a nanny instead of relying on family resources," Ben reminded her.

"Yes, but now that you're out of a job, you can look after them full time. It isn't as if we need the money, and anyways, if you're here then I don't have to worry about getting called away from work again," Alex said.

"I didn't go to college to be a house husband, Alex," Ben said irritably.

"Oh, stop being so proud! It isn't as if you don't want to be here anyway. But I really need to get to work," Alex said, kissing Jay and Rus on the cheek and then attempted to kiss Ben despite the fact he was apparently in no mood for it. "Cheer up! At least you get to spend a lot more time with the boys, not that they didn't always like you better anyway. We'll talk about it later, maybe over the weekend. Be good, Jay and Rus! No itching!" she added with wag of the finger before making a hasty exit.

"Daddy is sad," Rus confided to Jay, who had noticed that himself. Frowning at that, Jay gazed at the apples in his hand and offered Ben one. Ben slumped in resignation before finally accepting the apple.

"Thanks," Ben said, glumly nibbling on it. Feeling more reassured, Jay and Rus turned their attention back to their snack.

* * *

It was several days later when Doctor Bliant had declared that despite lingering spots they were no longer contagious. The House Elves under Mercy's instruction had everything impeccably clean to insure that nothing lingered, and after a bit of extra convincing, Jennifer arrived home with Quintin in arms and with Leu dragging one of the suitcases behind him.

"Back at last!" Jennifer declared as they stepped inside. "Lucky? Ben? Anyone home at all?" she called out, and then heard Descartes' muffled cry. "Sounds like your father is home, at least. Leu, go put Copper back in her aquarium and change… and don't you dare start breaking out your chemical kit just yet. Make sure you leave your laundry out for the Elves… Mercy?"

"Yes Mistress?" Mercy's voice replied.

"Oh, it's good to hear you! We were so worried about you for a while there. Are you all right now?" Jennifer asked her concernedly.

"I have always been all right, Mistress. Shall I put away Master Quintin's things for him?" she asked.

"That would be lovely, thank you, Mercy," Jennifer agreed. She took a moment to change the baby and put him in a fresh set of clothes before bringing him into the basement with her. A thin but telltale haze was drifting in the basement despite the open window, and Jennifer stepped down curiously to see Severus working by the cauldron oven.

"Good morning, Severus," Jennifer said. "We're back!"

Descartes cawed out happily while Rasputin, lying on the top of the shelves, gave her only a cursory look.

"Quiet down, Descartes," Severus said distractedly as he was carefully adding a powder to the mix. "Jennifer, you complain about my tobacco smoke around the children and yet you bring him down into the lab?"

"And here I thought you'd want to see us after a week on your own," Jennifer harrumphed.

"I've hardly been alone a minute in the interim, I assure you," Severus said. "In fact, I believe this is the first morning that Ben felt brave enough to take the boys out since their illness, even if it was at my insistence."

"Oh?" Jennifer asked curiously. "He's not working?"

"I'll explain in a moment. Why don't you settle Quintin in the front room and make some coffee. I'll be up as soon as I am done bottling this Buck-up Brew."

"Buck-up Brew? I don't remember that ever being a part of our normal inventory. We've always used Heartsease Balm," Jennifer said thoughtfully.

"Yes, I know, but I think this will be easier for Benjamin to use," Severus explained.

"Ben? What's wrong with Ben?"

"Coffee?" Severus reminded her.

"Oh, all right," Jennifer said, walking back up the stairs. She frowned when she got into the living room and realized how far the crib in the pen area was from the kitchen. Glancing at Quintin, she adjusted him to one side and got her wand out long enough to move the crib into the kitchen before finally settling him down in it.

She had gotten the coffee started and had begun rummaging through the cabinets when Severus finally made it upstairs. He peered quizzically at the crib as he walked in.

"Getting attached to this one, are we?" Severus observed.

"Severus, we did have an intruding Elf on this property a week ago, and considering we're still not sure exactly how it got in, I'm not taking any chances," Jennifer said curtly.

"Very well, I suppose you have a point," Severus decided, going over to check on him.

"So what's going on with Ben, Severus?" Jennifer asked.

"A small bit of a family crisis, it would seem. Apparently there was an emergency at his work the day that the boys came down with Tangerine Spots and his boss took exception to the fact that Ben chose his family over work, which of course, made Ben turn around and take exception to his employer," Severus explained.

"Well, I should think so! I wouldn't stay with a job that had a problem with me leaving work due to a family emergency!" Jennifer declared. "Did he quit his job, then? I know I would have."

"Yes, well, apparently the debate got heated enough that he was sacked first," Severus explained. Jennifer grimaced. "And it also didn't help that Alex's idea of cheering him up was to suggest that he simply stayed home with the children full time."

"Yes, I'm sure that went over well. Poor Ben," Jennifer sighed. "Where are they now?"

"Visiting his sister, I believe. Benjamin can take care of himself for the most part; you know he's always been sensible, although I do wonder what effect this is having on the children considering our suspicions about Janus," Severus said.

"Maybe now would be a good time to go ahead and test him. I've been talking to Lunette about it and she gave me some basic Truth-seeking tests for preschoolers that I think he can handle," Jennifer said.

"Perhaps, just make certain Ben and Alex know what you're planning first," Severus warned.

"I will, Severus, but I seriously doubt they'd mind," Jennifer said. She handed him his coffee before getting one herself. He only took one sip before he grimaced.

"It's cold," Severus said.

"Cold? But I just made it, you just saw me," Jennifer said with bewilderment, and then began switching buttons experimentally. "The grinder doesn't work either."

"Is the power off?"

"Oh now, Severus, you know this coffee pot has always been magic driven," Jennifer sighed at him.

"So it has, come to think of it. Sirius rigged something for it, didn't he?" Severus mused, experimentally fiddling with the back of the coffee pot for a moment before shrugging. "I suppose we're about due for another one. Considering how old this thing is, it probably just gave out."

"I'd hate to get rid of it…" Jennifer frowned.

"It's just a coffee machine, Jennifer. Yes, I know you have memories attached to the thing, but the memories aren't going anywhere even if we do have to replace it…"

"That's just the point, Severus. I didn't have any memories when you gave it to me," Jennifer argued. "I think I'm going to ask Sirius to take a look at it first."

"Very well, Jennifer, but would you care if I got another one in the meantime? I'd really rather not deal with cold coffee every morning." Severus said.

"Fine, but I'm not getting rid of this one," Jennifer said stubbornly.

Suddenly the two of them heard a howl and the sound of someone barreling down the stairs. The two of them ran into the hallway and nearly ran into Leu in the process.

"Help! Help! Copper ate my Snitch! She's going to die, isn't she? Tell me she isn't!" Leu said frantically.

It was less than five minutes later that Severus found himself sitting at Sagittari's dining table with a worried boy beside him fidgeting restlessly with his fingers. Jennifer was calmly helping herself to Sagittari's leftovers while Quintin slept on her other arm, apparently undisturbed by the abrupt change in scenery.

"Llewellyn, I've been thinking," Severus said with his head propped up in his hand. "How would you like your own owl?" Jennifer looked over at him with an amused expression before turning back to her snack.

"Is Copper going to die?" Leu asked seriously.

"I highly doubt it, especially considering how quickly we got her here and into Sagittari's capable hands. That wasn't the point, really. I just thought you might like one to take to Hogwarts when you start this year. They're good for sending messages and things," Severus explained.

"Oh! Well, I wouldn't mind that," Leu admitted.

"Good, then it's settled. I'll take you right before I head back to work. That way you have time to get acquainted," Severus said.

"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat while we wait, Leu?" Jennifer asked.

"No, thank you. I'd rather wait until I know how Copper is," Leu said solemnly. "Besides, isn't it impolite to raid someone's kitchen without asking like that?"

"Yes it is," Severus said before Jennifer had a chance to say anything.

"We have a sort of standing agreement, Leu," Jennifer explained.

"What does that mean?" Leu asked.

"It means that because she raids the doctor's kitchen so often that if she stopped doing it now, Sagittari would insist that she be the one to get a check up," Severus said. Jennifer made a face at him, but kept right on eating.

Finally the door opened and Leu looked around with an anxious look on his face as Sagittari walked in from his office, glancing between them thoughtfully.

"How is Copper? Is everything all right?" Leu asked.

"That would depend, Mr. Murphy. Do you have any intentions of letting a Snitch loose in your room again?" Sagittari asked.

Leu shook his head with a serious expression on his face. Matching the expression, Sagittari took the Snitch out of his pocket and handed it over to the boy while Jennifer and Severus both grimaced at the thought of where the Snitch had been.

"Apparently, she somehow managed to swallow it whole, so it still appears to be functioning properly," Sagittari said. "As for Copper, she'll have some stitches you will need to look after and I have a prescription to give her for a week or two, but I'm sure your parents will have no trouble filling it themselves. I would keep her in her aquarium for awhile until she recuperates, young man, especially if you have any plans to bring her to Hogwarts with you this year."

"You mean I can take Copper as well?" Leu asked in surprise.

"As well?" Sagittari asked, glancing curiously at the sour expression on Severus' face.

"My father said I might have an owl if I'd like," Leu said.

"I suppose that would be up to you which to bring then, although I think Copper might miss you if she would have to stay home. You can only bring one familiar, after all. You have enough responsibilities looking after yourself and your homework, and I think you'll find one familiar is more than enough," Sagittari said.

"In that case, I think I'll just bring Copper instead. Is that all right?" Leu asked. He glanced over at Jennifer who seemed to be more interested in her food then the conversation, so he glanced over at Severus.

"Yes but… Llewellyn, Benjamin and the boys would have no trouble looking after a toad, and an owl would be a lot more useful. Wouldn't you rather have a familiar that was actually capable of doing more than eating and sleeping?" Severus asked pleadingly.

"Isn't that all that Rasputin and Ratfly do?" Leu asked. Severus grimaced at that.

"He does have a point," Sagittari agreed. Jennifer tried her best to keep a straight face.

"Fine, Copper can go, although it pains me to say it… assuming you do as the doctor says and keep her healthy enough," Severus said with a sigh.

"I will do my best to follow your directions exactly," Leu said emphatically.

"That would be a nice change, considering how little some others I won't mention pay to my instructions about the health of their familiars," Sagittari said. "Come along to the patient room with me, Mr. Murphy."

"Thanks much," Leu said, going in when the centaur opened the door.

"I never thought I'd see the day one of my family went to Hogwarts with a toad," Severus mumbled. Jennifer smiled at him sympathetically.

"What matters most is letting Leu have a familiar that's right for him, Severus, family pride or not," Jennifer pointed out, handing him Quintin so she could clean up the table.

"Fine," Severus said with a sigh, then glanced at the baby. "But you, Quintin Snape, are getting an owl."

"Want to make a wager on that?" Jennifer said half-jokingly, putting the dishes in the sink.

"You're on," Severus decided as they got up to join them in the other room.

* * *

It was not long before Leu was settled with his convalescent frog that Severus' thoughts turned to getting ready to head back to Hogwarts. He spent a good deal of the morning going back and forth packing in their suite, often passing and looking in the crib with a frown as he packed his trunk, wondering if the feeling of something hanging over them was his imagination or not. It didn't help when he went to sort through the library and saw the same forlorn expression on Leu's face from where he sat in the doorway and watched Severus pull his favorite books down.

"So you're going there on your own, then?" Leu asked.

"Yes, you'll be staying here with your mother and sister," Severus said, glancing through one of the books before putting it back.

"And you'll be by yourself in that huge castle?" Leu frowned. "Won't you get lonely?"

"Professor Weasley will be there for a couple of days, and Sagittari is just across the courtyard, after all, and of course Rasputin and Descartes are going. To be honest, I usually have so much work to do to prep for the new school year that I welcome the quiet… most especially this year. There is still a lot of backlog from that silly Otherworld business, and I really must get caught up on it before the first board meeting. Assuming I'm not called home every other day because someone was playing with Quidditch balls in the house or sneaking off to the river when he thought no one was looking, I should be able to get it done…"

"River? I wasn't sneaking off to the river," Leu said quickly.

"I didn't say that I was speaking of you. It could have been hypothetical," Severus said. Leu wisely decided to keep silent. "However, now might be a good time to remind you that you're not really even supposed to go to the broom park without supervision until you are twelve, and I ask that you not leave the house without Lucky or an adult while I'm gone."

"Lucky is always working, and with goblins, too. I still don't understand why you let her work at that bank," Leu said.

"Llewellyn, Lucky is old enough to decide where she wants to work, and she is more than capable of handling anything that might come up. And I know for a fact that what you went through while in their care had an impact on you, but even understanding that, there will be a time when you must come to terms with the fact that not all goblins are out to get you," Severus said.

"Of course they're not now, you bought off my debt. They don't care about anything if you pay them," Leu said.

"On the contrary, their interests in economics has more to do with wanting political leverage and trying to gain control over vast wizard company investors that already depend on them to keep their companies going," Severus said.

"What does that mean?" Leu asked.

"It means, Leu, that the goblins themselves are trying to buy their own freedom just like we bought yours," Severus explained. "Only since it's for their entire race, it is a much, much longer process than what it took us."

"Is that why they're so greedy, then?" Leu asked.

"Llewellyn, if a Frenchman walked up to you and stole your coins, does that mean that everyone from France is a thief?" Severus asked.

"Well, no, but the bank is their government…"

"All the same, just because the government behaves in a certain way doesn't mean all its people do. Lord help me if people start comparing me to the Ministry," Severus added. "We are, however, getting off the subject. I expect you be on your best behavior while I'm gone. Your mother has enough to juggle this year with Quintin and having to look after Jay and Rus while Ben is job hunting. I will drop by if I can, but at the latest, you'll see me during Corey's birthday party. By then you should have had your letter and your shopping started if not finished."

"Will I have to go to Corey's again this year?" Leu asked.

"No, since your sister has to work, you may stay here the two weeks before school and take the train up… but don't you dare make us regret the decision to let the two of you stay," Severus said sternly.

"No, sir," Leu said solemnly.

"Good," Severus said, picking up a couple more tomes and his tobacco pouch before walking over towards the door. Leu quickly got out of the way, walking ahead of them as they made their way into the kitchen. Jennifer was standing at the counter with a cup in her hands, pointing to it when they came in.

"The coffee pot is working again, Severus! It just seemed to start up on its own," Jennifer explained.

"That's rather odd," Severus frowned. "Is Sirius going to look at it?"

"Yes, he said he would when he drops by to put in that new House Elf monitor thing you ordered, although I am wondering if we aren't going a bit overboard with that," Jennifer said.

"We still don't know what happened to our Head Elf that day, and considering you, Quintin and Leu will be here for another month while I'm at work, I'd rather not take any chances," Severus said defensively.

"We'll hardly be alone, Severus. After all, Ben and the boys will be here, and there's always Alex and the others popping in and out at any given time. You have very little to worry about. I can take care of myself, you know," Jennifer said.

"I never said you couldn't, but forewarned is forearmed, and I know you do your best defending when you've had time to plan out a mode of attack…"

"Exactly who are we at war with, Severus?" Jennifer challenged him with exasperation.

"I don't know, that is part of the trouble," Severus murmured. "Promise me you'll do your best to stay alert?"

"Of course I shall. Stop being so overprotective," Jennifer scolded him.

"I'm not being overprotective, Jennifer. Protective, maybe," Severus said curtly. Jennifer smiled enigmatically at him.

"I suppose I can live with that," she decided. "I think I'll pop in for lunch on Sunday if you're free. I'm hoping to test Janus right after I talk to Alex on Saturday."

"Good, then you can tell me how it turns out," Severus nodded. "Time to go… back to school for me, and soon all of us. Llewellyn, do your best to keep your mother out of trouble until then."

"I'm not sure I would know how to do that," Leu admitted seriously.

"I suppose that makes two of us. I haven't figured out how to do that yet either," Severus decided.

"Oh goodbye already," Jennifer said, shaking her head at Severus as he left. "Leu, why don't you go play in the backyard for a bit and keep Janus and Rus company in the sandbox?"

"All right, but I'm not so sure how I can keep you out of trouble from there…"

"Shoo!" Jennifer scowled, coaxing him out the door. Double-checking the coffee pot to make sure it was still working, Jennifer began to get ready for lunch.


	5. Errands

Chapter Five

Errands

Arnold Jeffers did what he swore he'd never do; he grew up to become the spitting image of his father. Of course there were some subtle differences, for his father's practice had largely been based on the fact that he would gladly accept money from anyone, and Arnold was a bit more discriminate with his clients. Even so, the reputation of his father and his father's belated partner (Rummert disappeared mysteriously some years before) had attracted a number of wealthy but sometimes anxious dark wizards who paid handsomely to have any solicitor on retainer who wasn't going to immediately suggest a guilty plea the moment they got into trouble. At the same time, he had also managed to earn a grudging respect and mutual wariness from the Ministry; most especially from Draco, Craw, and Adler, who all understood the fellow Slytherin's job had its place in the court room even if that often meant it put them on opposite sides of the room.

That respect hadn't been easy to obtain nor easy to retain; Arnold didn't like the idea of being put in any sort of position that would damage that. So he found himself gnawing thoughtfully on his lip, wondering to himself how long it would take before he and his client found themselves booted out of the LE office.

"You want to see Mr. Craw now?" the Enforcer behind the desk repeated, glancing at the clock and shaking his head. "Not likely. It's two minutes until his lunch hour, and he's not likely to run off schedule for your benefit."

"My client here is concerned that his case is not being looked into, and would like to make certain that some progress is being made," Arnold explained. The officer looked between Arnold and Amadeus thoughtfully.

"Oh? Well, we don't comment on open cases during an investigation, you know…"

"Spare us the regulation rhetoric, if you don't mind," Amadeus snapped, ignoring Arnold's disapproving frown. "I want some reassurance that someone is still looking into this and it hasn't been conveniently and intentionally forgotten!"

"What in blazes is all the bellowing about? Oh, it's you again," Thomas said with distaste as he stepped out of the office. "Longbottom, unless you're here to turn yourself in for the benefit of mankind, I don't want to see you in my office. Jeffers, can't you put him in a straightjacket somewhere so he isn't in my way?"

"He is here to lodge a complaint, Mr. Craw. We believe that his legal right to justice has been infringed upon because of past personal grievances," Arnold said solemnly.

"If I had a personal grievance with him, he'd already be pushing up daisies," Thomas said bluntly. "Jeffers, Bosworth is handling the case. If you want to file a complaint go ahead, and if what you're really after is finding out what progress he's made, you'll have to take it up with him. Either way, I'd prefer it if from now on you come alone when you handle this matter, if you think it's worth bothering with at all. And if this 'client' of yours decides to push his luck, as head of Law Enforcement, I am well within my rights to simply drop the case and let you both handle it in civil courts… assuming that you ever find someone to accuse, of course. Considering how cold this case was from the start, good luck. McFarrin, I'm off to lunch. Feel free to throw the trash out while I'm gone," he added on his way out the door.

"Let me see if Assistant Minister Bosworth is available for you, Mr. Longbottom. He should be back from lunch himself in a few minutes," the officer suggested, pulling out a book.

"Jeffers, why don't you wait for him? I think it's time I had a few words with the Minister of Magic," Amadeus said.

"I'm not sure it'd help your position any. Draco isn't likely to go against Craw if he decides to drop it, especially since so far Craw has handled this by the book," Arnold warned him.

"That's exactly what's wrong with this whole thing. Since when does Craw go completely by the book?" Amadeus snapped, storming down the hall. Arnold sighed softly, receiving a sympathetic smile from the officer.

"It looks like Mr. Bosworth is doing some interviews today, but he should be available to see you and an hour or so," McFarrin said.

"Good, that'll give me time to eat or at least get a stiff drink somewhere," Arnold said.

"And Amadeus?" the officer inquired.

"Oh, he can buy his own drinks. I'll be at the Leaky Cauldron if he shows up looking for me," Arnold added reluctantly before walking out of the office.

It wasn't until after he stepped out the door that he realized it probably hadn't been the best of choices for lunch; Thomas was often known to have lunch there. But a quick, furtive glance around the room was all it took for him to realize that Thomas wasn't anywhere near the Cauldron; the cursed table he often sat was vacant and no one in the room seemed on edge.

"Brew'n'stew special, Scott," Arnold said, taking a stool and the bar.

"An' just where've you been lurkin' lately?" Scott asked curiously, putting his drink in front of him.

"Working my ass off to keep my clients honest," Arnold said dryly.

"What? Do they pay you t'do their lyin' for them, then?" Scott chuckled jokingly.

"It has been known to happen," Arnold said dryly, drinking half the mug before he even thought of looking at the bowl in front of him.

But before he could steel himself enough to take a bite, he was distracted by the presence of a familiar owl on one of the windows and then noticed a letter floating down. Scott caught it before it could fall under the bar and neatly passed it over to Arnold. The counselor inspected the stamps on both sides of the envelope thoughtfully for a moment before finally opening it and furrowing his brows.

"Did you lose another case?" Scott asked thoughtfully from where he stood wiping off glasses.

"What?" Arnold frowned.

"The stamp on the post looked like Azkaban's stamp," Scott explained.

"Oh… no, it's not one of mine. Actually, it's someone who's recently fired his counselor and was inquiring if I had time for another client."

"I suppose if I ended up on Azkaban, I'd fire my counselor too," Scott chuckled. "But why would a prisoner in Azkaban have need of one anymore?"

"Parole hearings… filing neglect charges… who knows, a lot of things," Arnold shrugged, pocketing the letter. "Easy money, though, so I might look at it. He can't be more of a headache than some of my clients are off the island," he added dryly, getting a chuckle from the bartender who then went to check on other patrons.

"Jeffers?" called an unmistakable voice from behind him. Jeffers got up and gazed warily at Byron Nelson, who walked up giving him a questioning frown. Even wearing a full Muggle business suit, there was a dark imposing air about him; the steely look in his eyes unmistakably cold and unforgiving. "I thought Longbottom told me he needed to see you about something this morning. He was supposed to meet me for lunch," he said in an almost accusing tone. "Why isn't he here?"

"He went to have words with Minister Malfoy after our meeting in the LE department," Jeffers said, Nelson raising an eyebrow at that. "He believes that they have no intentions of looking into his poisoning case."

"Of course they have no intentions of looking into it! I can't believe even _he_ is foolish enough to pursue it through the Ministry at all!" Nelson said.

"Perhaps, but if they blow him off completely, he has all the more 'proof' that the Ministry is corrupt… and more fuel for the morning _Oracle, _no doubt," Jeffers said.

"True," Nelson mused. "But I think he could easily come up with better ammunition than that. To be blunt, I think whoever potioned him probably did us all a favor. The last thing Longbottom needs is another leach to his personal accounts when he should be concentrating on straightening his business up. Considering how self-serving he is, I don't understand why he'd even care if he's sterile or not. Why would he even be tempted?"

"One might wonder," Jeffers said in such a dry tone that Nelson squinted at him. "I think one of the answers just came in the door. And on that note, I think my lunch is over," he said, hurriedly paying his bill and slipping out the back even as Nelson turned around. Nelson's face turned grim and his lips thinned, squinting at the family standing there before stepping into the far back corner so that he wouldn't readily be seen.

A great many others were offering warm greetings as Jennifer came in with a baby in her arms with Leu at her side carrying a large satchel.

"Yes, it is a fine day, isn't it? Good morning," Jennifer greeted them all back warmly.

"Care for a drink on the house, ma'am?" Scott asked cordially, while several others took turns getting a look at the baby.

"Oh, no thank you, not this early, we're just passing through," Jennifer explained.

"Well, bring him over, Jennifer, so we can get a better look as well," said Tom.

"All right, but just for a minute," Jennifer protested lightly before bringing him up to the bar.

"He has his father's hair, no mistake about that," Tom said. "His eyes are grey, rather like his grandfather's, eh?"

"Actually, they're greener now than they were when he was born. They look very much like Alicia's did at his age, so I think he'll end up with green eyes," Jennifer said happily.

"Just like yours, then, Professor," Tom said. "Goodness, but you're looking well…younger than ever, in fact."

"Surely not, but I do feel younger now that I'm a new mother again," Jennifer said, somehow managing to push her spectacles up with a smile. "It's hard not to feel younger with a new baby in one's arms, isn't it?"

"Actually, they tend to make me feel older," Tom decided with a soft chuckle. "And how are you today, Master Leu?"

"Fine, thank you, although I'd rather not have to go to Gribitz Emporium," Leu admitted.

"Now, we'll only be there long enough so I can pick up our watches," Jennifer reassured him. "See you later, Tom, Scott, and whomever it is who happens to be watching!" she added with a chuckle. Leu gazed at her curiously, but didn't say anything as they stepped out the back door and through the wall into Diagon Alley.

"Could I please wait outside?" Leu asked as they walked down the alley, warily looking over at the imposing bank building that seemed to be growing menacingly larger in front of them.

"There is no need to worry," Jennifer said, sighing softly. "After all, you're a customer now. You have your own vault, and you know as well as I do that they're not likely to speak ill of an investor…"

"To his face," Leu said curtly.

"Why would you care otherwise?" Jennifer asked. Leu frowned, not being able to figure out an answer for that. "Come, Leu. I'm sorry, but there's no way I could possibly leave you out here with the oddities that happened in the house while we were abroad. Besides, I am still getting the feeling that someone is watching us, so I'd rather you stayed close." Deciding that he liked that even less than he liked the idea of going to the bank, Leu quickly decided that sticking close was probably the best solution. "That's better," Jennifer agreed with a warm smile and then walked up the steps, a goblin solemnly opening the door for them as they walked in.

Jennifer paused and looked over at the exchange counter, ending up putting her hand on her hips when she saw Dale leaning against it as if he had been standing there for a while. Shaking her head, Jennifer walked over to the counter.

"Working hard?" Jennifer asked. Lucky looked up with surprise and then grimaced sheepishly.

"Oh, hello, Professor. I was just getting change," Dale explained quickly, standing up.

"So he has. Five pounds at a time," said Mrs. Box from right behind them, rolling her eyes at Jennifer, who grinned and tsked in response.

"I'm just keeping her busy, it's been a slow day," Dale explained. "But I'll gladly step away if anyone else needs change. Do you need change?"

"No thank you, my shopping is all on this side today. Lucky, I need you to come straight home after work. I'm going to go pick up our watches and Corey's birthday present and then I'd like to head to the castle for dinner and to drop Severus' watch off," Jennifer said.

"Are you going to be long? I have to go to Boulderdash's tonight, and Ike invited me to dinner afterwards," Lucky said.

"Fine, I'll bring Quintin with me. Severus is less likely to try to prolong the visit if I do," Jennifer said with a wry smile that made Lucky smirk knowingly at her. "But you do need to come home to keep Leu entertained."

"I'll come help," Dale quickly volunteered.

"Hm… I suppose I don't mind. I doubt you'll get in much trouble with Leu there to watch over you," Jennifer decided.

"You mean like Quintin is watching over you?" Lucky asked daringly.

"If you didn't have another customer coming up behind us, I'd think up some sort of clever comeback," Jennifer said. "See you at home."

"What was that last bit about, then?" Leu asked curiously.

"Um… ask me again in three or four more years," Jennifer parried, walking over to the tellers.

"Oh, it was about sex then," Leu ventured. Jennifer blinked in surprise and stared at him a moment, but fortunately business was so slow that she found herself dealing with the tellers instead of having to answer.

By the time they had finished their errands Lucky was off work, so Jennifer wasted no time in using the key to get over to Hogwarts, appearing directly in the Headmaster's Study. Working at his desk, Severus seemed completely unsurprised by her arrival. She had gotten used to that; the appointment book at his side seemed to always have an edge as to when it was she planned to visit.

"Eating early, are we?" Severus commented. "And with a guest, I see."

"It's Lucky's sparring night and she is planning to visit her pen pal afterwards, so I decided to come early," Jennifer explained. "As for Quintin, he insisted on seeing you. Here, hold him a moment so I can grab the bassinet out of the other room."

"So, we're being turned into a shield, are we?" Severus confronted Quintin, who simply sucked on his hand unconcernedly. "Oh, don't worry, I'll get in your way often enough when you turn into a teenager." Jennifer laughed knowingly at that before stepping behind the curtain long enough to roll the bassinet in. "Were you able to get the watches fixed?"

"Yes, that is the main reason for today's visit, actually," Jennifer said cheerfully, taking Quintin back and putting him in the bassinet. "Although I have been instructed to tell you by Gribitz that even after shrinking the hands on our adult children, if he has to add one more arm to your watch, he thinks it'll pop a spring."

"If I have to add one more arm to my watch, I think I personally will pop a spring," Severus said dryly. Jennifer chuckled.

"You're in no danger of that, at least in the near future. I find myself thoroughly preoccupied with the three I have currently, plus I've been doing my fair share of babysitting for Ben," Jennifer reassured him, handing him his watch before getting out a shiny golden box. "And Rose asked that Ambrose be added to Corey's watch as well, so you might consider removing Ambrose's hand from yours after he graduates, especially since it's obvious now that his father isn't likely to spend more than a few months of our time in the Otherworld on any given occasion."

"Fair enough, but the old man is gone at the moment," Severus pointed out, glancing at Corey's watch to see Ambrose's hand pointing with all the other Willowby hands towards the farm house. "It'll be interesting to hear what news he has when he returns. I hope they've made some progress pushing that ocean border with the demonlands back."

"I wouldn't be surprised if that was one of the main reasons Toby wanted to go back and check in, to make sure that was going well," Jennifer ventured.

"And to mettle if it's not," Severus said dryly. Jennifer chuckled.

"More than likely. All in all though, it's only been a few days since we left according to them, Severus, so I doubt too much has changed just yet," Jennifer said.

"A lot can be done in very little time that can change the world forever, you know," Severus said. "Normandy…Pearl Harbor…Hiroshima."

"Perhaps, although they aren't waging that sort of war, Severus…"

"Oh, no. But magic, especially in saw raw state, can become even more devastating if they are not careful," Severus said, "let alone if we ourselves are not careful."

"There it is again," Jennifer murmured, Severus glancing at her quizzically. "That strange cloud hanging over you, that sense of foreboding."

"Something is definitely brewing, Jennifer. Something…I don't know what yet. I only get the intense feeling that now is not the time to let down our guard," he said, putting the watch back into the box and handing it to her. "And despite my warnings…and some of Harry's as well, the magic world truly has become a bit too confident in the fact that someone like Voldemort won't happen again. Losing that edge of wariness and skepticism is going to cost us in the months ahead, I don't know when or how, but I'm quite certain that it shall." Jennifer thought about it a moment, then glanced at the bassinet.

"Well, that is something we simply can't afford," Jennifer decided, getting up and gazing into the crib to see that Quintin had fallen into a peaceful sleep. "We didn't go through of all this simply to repeat our past, Severus, let alone our past mistakes."

"No, we did not," Severus agreed quietly. "We need to start taking precautions now, both for our sakes and our family's sake, although I'm not certain that many of them will understand the urgency. They will simply write me off as being a paranoid old fool again."

"Aurelius and Corey will listen, Severus, and perhaps Andrew," Jennifer said. "And even if Alicia doesn't listen, Francis will. As for Alex… well, I'll try talking to her."

"Are you in full agreement, then, to my stepping up on family security?"

"Absolutely," Jennifer said resolutely. "I'll support whatever you have in mind, Severus."

"Good, then perhaps it's not too late," Severus decided. "But first things are first, and there are some things we must know before we can proceed."

* * *

Snack time was the most obvious time to try and run the test. Jennifer helped the boys up on the stools and handing them some apple slices and bits of cheese and sat down across from them while Ben got them some milk. They always seemed more focused on their surroundings when they were eating for they were not distracted by what toy the other was playing with and how they could steal it back.

"Now, we're going to play a bit of a game," Jennifer said. "I'm going to cover my face like this," she said putting her hands in front of her face. And when I uncover it like this, you guess what color I'm thinking." Janus gazed at her skeptically, wary of this new twist in peek-a-boo. "I'm covering my face now," Jennifer warned, and then quickly uncovered it to see both Janus and Rus staring at her. "What color do you see? What color do you see, Janus?"

"Pink," Janus said.

"Well, no… oh wait, you mean my skin color, don't you?" Jennifer said, nodding in confirmation of what she was reading off the boy. "Not like that, Janus. Try to read what color is in my face," Jennifer said. Janus watched skeptically as she uncovered her face again. "What color do you see now, Janus?" Janus gazed into her eyes.

"Green," Janus said.

"Oh! Yes, I suppose my eyes are green," Jennifer chuckled.

"Lallo!" Rus said.

"That means yellow," Ben explained, putting down the milk.

"Yellow! That's right! Very good, Rus," Jennifer said. Janus furrowed his brows at his brother. "Let's try it again, Jay. Come on, you can do it. Don't get discouraged," Jennifer coaxed, covering her face again. Counting to three, she uncovered her face again. "What do you see?" she asked, then realized part of her hair was in her face.

"Red," said Jay firmly, gazing at her hair.

"Oh, um… well yes, that is true, Jay…"

"Puhple," Rus said. Jennifer paused and looked between the two boys thoughtfully before sliding over and giving Rus a more critical eye before covering her face and showing it again. "Green," he said, nibbling on an apple as Jennifer covered her face again and then uncovered it. "Black!" he said, but then frowned at the next one. "Chartoes!"

"Charred toes?" Ben said in confusion, but Jennifer laughed outright.

"I was thinking chartreuse! I guess we were wrong all along, Ben! It's Rus that's the Truth-Seeker, and a very strong one too, considering he just tried to interpret a color he didn't even know yet… he'll need to be tested further, of course, to determine how strong… and Severus and I were so convinced it was Janus! Now that I think of it, I think Janus is just plain brilliant, is all… highly intelligent for someone his age. You're a very smart boy, Jay."

Janus, who hadn't understood why Rus was getting any praise for getting all the answers wrong, nodded to himself in agreement before turning his attention back to his apples.

"So what happens now?" Ben asked.

"Well, he's going to need training as you can imagine, but at his age the main focus needs to be on getting him to understand the difference between what people say and what people think…oh, and you need to be extremely careful about what you're thinking around him from now on. You don't want to think about anything that might upset him, or he might just cut his ability off like Aurelius did. When he gets older and understands that people can't always control their passing thoughts, he'll be more ready to deal with that, but right now it's important to stay positive," Jennifer said. Ben frowned at that. "Or, I could get Aurelius to block them for awhile," she suggested reluctantly. "But that's not something I'd do long term if I were you, or you might damage your relationship with him rather than protect it."

"It's not really me I'm so worried about," Ben admitted. "You see, Alex… Alex is going through a rough time, lately. She's been feeling…well… disconnected."

"Yes, I know, that's obvious even to me," Jennifer sighed. "But if you're worried about her thoughts being open, don't. Except on rare occasions, she's been blocked from my reading her for years now."

"Years? What do you mean years?" Ben said in alarm. "Why?"

"Well, if it's any consolation, I did ask Aurelius that, and he said it was strictly work-related," Jennifer said. Ben frowned.

"Are you sure?"

"Aurelius wouldn't lie to me about anything like that," Jennifer said. Ben thought about it a moment.

"You're right, he wouldn't," Ben agreed.

"Ben, is there anything troubling you that I should…well, I suppose it's none of my business, but if there is anything troubling you, it might help to talk about it," Jennifer coaxed.

"If I ever figure out what it is that's troubling me, I'll let you know," Ben said, and then noticed that Rus was gazing at him fixedly. "Maybe I should be blocked for the time being, at least until I've figured it out."

"Yes, perhaps that is wise," Jennifer agreed solemnly. "I'll have Aurelius drop by, really, he's going to want to know about Rus anyway. Honestly, I don't know what his reaction is going to be, whether he's going to be happy about it or feel sorry for him. Perhaps a bit of both," Jennifer chuckled, then smiled when she saw Rus looking at her again.

"Froggy!" Rus said cheerfully.

"He really is quite good," Jennifer said, pulling out a couple of chocolate frogs and handing one to each of them.


	6. New Experiences

Chapter Six

New Experiences

Jeffers sighed when he got to the third checkpoint, glancing at his own papers before passing through and walking to the last gate when Hinge eyeballed him with open dislike.

"I don't remember you ever being down at this level before," Hinge said suspiciously. "You here for one of your father's clients?"

"No, a new client of my own," Jeffers said, showing him the paperwork.

"What? What would you want with that old porker?" Hinge said in surprise and disgust. "He's in here for life, you know. There's no way the current ministration will ever let him out. They're scared of him… what he knows, what he's capable of even now. You're wasting your time with that one. He'll be dying in that cell, probably from heart failure or something. I'm surprised he doesn't have a heart attack any time he tries to stand up."

"So by your own admission he's not in the best of health?" Jeffers inquired as he was escorted down the hall. Hinge snorted.

"Well, what do you expect with his build and after almost thirty years in solitary?" Hinge said, opening the door into the visiting room.

Jeffers hesitated when he stepped in, but forced himself to recover quickly despite the fact that he could barely see a semblance of the man he had witnessed in photos and newspaper clippings. But despite the inmate's saggy appearance and grey, wild hair, the wizard's eyes were sharp, cold, and calculating.

"Here you are, Jeffers junior; Tubby himself. Please feel free to take the whole twelve minutes. That way we can let his cell doors recover from having to enlarge them enough he can get through it," Hinge sneered before finally leaving.

"How I hate that guard," the man snarled.

"He's actually personable outside of these walls, although I admit he seems to get a little nuts when he's inside them," Jeffers observed, sitting down.

"Power corrupts, they say. Of course, many would also say that is what I am doing here," he admitted.

"I was wondering just what it is that I am doing here, Mr. Bagman," Jeffers said.

"Have you been reading the Daily Snape at all recently?" Bagman asked.

"I'm sure you didn't hire me to spend what little time we have getting caught up on gossip, Mr. Bagman," Jeffers said.

"No," Bagman said, somehow managing to lace his thick hands together. "I hired you because I think I am finally ready to make my next move. Really, you don't think I've been idol all these years, do you? That would be almost as foolish as believing that my order is truly dead." Jeffers squinted at him unsurely.

* * *

Severus Snape heard a loud thump that came from behind him. Frowning, he got up from his desk and looked past the curtain, gaping when he saw four footlockers instead of the one he had been expecting.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Severus murmured to himself, going back to his desk to take his first appointment.

Jennifer arrived later that afternoon with Quintin in her arms, breathing in happily at the familiar smells and how glad she was to be back. She didn't bolt in the doors as she normally did; instead she was quite content to take her time until she stepped inside, and then went straight towards the Door Lift. Just then it opened, and a dark haired, dark-skinned man in a uniform came out, immediately stepping to the side for her.

"Your pardon, miss… madam rather," he corrected when he saw Quintin.

"Jennifer Craw Snape," Jennifer said with a warm smile.

"Ah, Professor Craw! So your husband wasn't exaggerating, I see!" he said cordially. "Commander Ernest Ace Bellamy, but you can call me Ace… I'll be the new Defense teacher."

"It's nice to meet you, Ace. I see my husband wasn't exaggerating about you either," she added mischievously before stepping through the Door Lift. Ace stared through it, wondering what she meant, but then walked off to unpack his classroom. Jennifer chuckled and shook her head, stepping into the hall and then through the double doors of the Headmaster's Study. Severus was waiting for her, shuffling papers at his desk. "Good morning, Severus!" she said cheerfully. "And just what exactly is it that you weren't exaggerating about?"

"Pardon?" Severus said in confusion.

"I met Commander Bellamy in the hall," Jennifer explained. "He indicated you had words."

"I simply mentioned that my wife was the stunning woman who teaches Potions, and that I can often be found lurking in that wing during the school year. Do you take issue with it?" Severus challenged her.

"Not at all, Severus," Jennifer said, smiling enigmatically. "Here, take your son so I can get him settled."

"I hope this won't be that long of an appointment, Jennifer…"

"Just talk, I'm listening," Jennifer said unconcernedly, opening the curtain and pulling the bassinet back into the study.

"Anyway, you should find Bellamy to be a polite, personable fellow, although I have very little doubt he is going to be dynamic in the classroom. In point of fact, he had the audacity to create an agenda for Defense that forced me to ask him to tone down," Severus said in annoyance. Jennifer stopped in her tracks and stared at him.

"You, Severus? You toned down a Defense agenda?" Jennifer said in awe.

"I am glad you appreciate the irony of that," Severus said, handing Quintin back to her so she could put him in the bed. "I am going to be paying careful attention to that class during the first month or so to make certain that things don't get out of hand, but I'd appreciate it if you eyeballed students coming in your classroom straight from Defense. You'll find you have plenty of opportunities, considering I believe both first year classes and one of the second year classes and a few others have Defense before yours."

"Really?" Jennifer said curiously, putting a teething ring in the crib and then walking over to look at her schedule. "Wow, this is brilliant! Items class, Dabblers, Sixth, Seventh and a conference during my first hour! Double in second years, but even that is midday and midweek. What exactly did I do deserve a schedule like this? It has to be intentional."

"Quite intentional, it's my way of trying to wean you away of that breakfast cart," Severus said bluntly. Jennifer did her best to keep a straight face. "I don't mind it so much in the classes you have that are based on individual projects or independent study, but your pre-OWLS classes are another story. They don't need distractions."

"And having one of them nod off during a lab and throwing the class into chaos isn't a distraction?" Jennifer challenged him.

"Yes, well, this arrangement will avoid both of our complaints, will it not?" Severus said expressionlessly.

"I certainly won't complain about it," Jennifer agreed with a smile.

"Now don't gloat too much, I hear that Hermione had to schedule herself for an early double because of my request," Severus said in a low voice. Jennifer grimaced ruefully at that. "She is also going to be busy settling the two newest faculty members, of course, although considering how much time Rose has spent as an aid to Pomona over her last few years here, I doubt she will have as many bumps as the normal incoming staff do. Even so, she's still a new to teaching so I'm sure things will come up… oh, and I'll need you personally to go over what special security we have out there by the green houses, since her procedures are a bit different out there than inside."

"No problem, I'll need to go over what sort of things she needs to keep on hand for my department anyway," Jennifer said. "Anything else?"

"No, that was all, except don't forget to keep the fact that Quintin is staying here quiet, at least as far as the board is concerned," Severus said in a low voice.

"You don't have to remind me about that, although I dare them to say something about it when they do find out," Jennifer said with a dangerous spark in her eyes. "Anyway, I'm going to go unpack the lab and start the three-day balms. I'll be up at dinner."

"Very well. Wait a moment…what about Quintin?" Severus asked with alarm when she walked towards the door. "You're not leaving him here, are you?"

"Severus, haven't you spent all summer telling me that a lab was no place for an infant?" she reminded him.

"Yes but… well, that was at home, and your lab here is much better ventilated…"

"And I have to make potions in bulk, as you well know. Or do you simply mean that Quintin has no place in _your_ laboratory, Severus?" she asked innocently. Severus began to answer and then caught himself when he saw her triumphant smile.

"Now, don't you dare start baiting me! You're not the only one with work to do, you know. I do still have a lot of first of the year conferences tonight…"

"He's a lot safer up here listening to you talk than he is down there when I'm distracted. And what if he needs me when I'm in the middle of a sensitive potion?" Jennifer asked.

"I don't suppose you could simply wait on those until next week when Ashley starts?" Severus asked out of desperation, despite his serious expression.

"You know very well I can't, Severus. I wouldn't have time to get Ginny's order done and private prescriptions and everything I need to prep for labs in one week," Jennifer said.

"You have before."

"With both of us working together at it ten hours a day. We don't have that sort of time right now," Jennifer said. Severus frowned. "And no, I still don't think this was a bad idea, Severus, and you don't really think that either. You can manage without me. Honestly, you act like a first time father! This is hardly the first time you've ever had to look after a child his age."

"I've never had to do it in my office," Severus muttered. "Whatever happened to keeping our professional and private lives entirely and completely separate?"

"We changed our minds," Jennifer said with a smile. "Have a good afternoon, Severus!" she added cheerfully before finally stepping out of the room. Unable to hold back anymore, Jennifer found herself chuckling periodically all the way down the back steps.

He was just setting up for his next conference when he heard a persistent humming noise and looked over to see Quintin observing him with a sock in his mouth.

"Wouldn't it be easier to eat that if your foot wasn't in it?" Severus commented, despite the fact that Quintin didn't seem to mind. He seemed quite fascinated with his surroundings and all the strange objects and faces looking at him.

The few paintings in the room that were awake seemed just as fascinated with him, crowding into Dippet's frame to see him. It wasn't long until the portrait of Severus himself entered, squinting at the baby suspiciously for a moment before folding his arms and gazing at his real self accusingly.

"Don't look at me like that. You're the one who married her," Severus said defensively when he noticed the expression. It wasn't long after that he heard the sound of knuckles against the back of the door. "Come in, Sally, welcome back."

"And it's very good to be back, Professor! It's going to be such a fun year. I can't wait to get start… oh! Oh, my goodness, who is this, is that Quintin?" Sally Scribe said with delight.

"I'd hate to think it was anyone else," Severus said dryly.

"He's gotten so big over the summer. Can I hold him?" she asked, picking him up before he could say a word. "Do you have a bottle? He looks hungry."

"He's simply teething…"

"Oh, the poor dear!" Sally tsked, and picked up a bottle that had appeared on the tea tray and sat down with him. Severus began drumming his fingers with irritation while Sally seemed more than content to keep Quintin occupied. "There! Now that he's settled, did you want to discuss my new books for this year?"

Much to his dismay, Severus found that all of the women on his staff seemed to have the exact same reaction to Quintin's presence in the room. Anna, who at least had the excuse of being a relative, kept him on her lap during the entire chat and made faces at Quintin, the boy's grin and giggles breaking up the worst of Severus' monologues. Rose volunteered to change him, her nerves immediately disappearing when she was looking after him despite the fact that her father-in-law seemed more irritated than usual. Even Aurora insisted on inspecting him and refused to talk about the school year until she knew what his star chart from the night he was born was.

At the end of the day, Severus wasn't certain who was more tired, Quintin or himself. As he sat down to reorganize his desk for the next day, Rasputin lumbered into the room, testing the air thoughtfully with his tongue while inspecting the bassinet with his marble yellow eye.

"What is he doing here?" Rasputin hissed.

"Sleeping, obviously," Severus hissed back.

"Good idea," Rasputin decided after a moment and then somehow managed to craw under the bassinet to try to get comfortable.

Severus paused and found himself watching them sleep…Quintin with his subtle mouth movements and Rasputin with his large head leaning against the support bar protectively. Well, there were worse things than enduring a week with his son in his office, he decided.

He wasn't expecting to miss his presence in the corner when he no longer needed to look after him.

* * *

Lucky stopped at the baggage car, levitating their trunks up to the handlers while Leu stared agape at the train as if not quite believing it was there.

"Do you want Copper back there too?" Lucky asked, drawing him out of his thoughts.

"Can I bring her with me?" Leu asked hopefully.

"Sure, as long as you can keep her out of trouble. I'm bringing Houdini… believe me, he's a lot more trouble if I leave him in the back," Lucky said, grabbing his cage. "Come on, let's see if we can find some Owls to sit with."

"Owls?" Leu repeated.

"Yeah, you know, my order," Lucky said as they climbed on, peering in compartments. But the first owl she saw was Maurice, already in a full car surrounded by his friends.

"Good morning, Fortuna, Llewellyn. I see you made it to the train all right," Maurice said.

"Yeah, hi Uncle Maurice. You seen Connie and Lena?"

"They've already retreated to the prefect car, I believe, along with Jessica and Dirk, of course. And I believe I saw Veronica and Winifred sitting with Pimra and Gary."

"Great, so who does that leave?" Lucky asked in annoyance, waving at him as they went further up.

"Lucky!" called out a voice that made Lucky groan softly. But seeing that there were two empty spots in Delia's compartment, she led Leu inside.

"Hi Delia, hi Mike," Lucky said, unceremoniously sitting down. "Come sit down, Leu."

"Yes, have a seat, mate. So you actually brought the frog? Is that the one out of Toby's shop?" Mike asked curiously.

"Her name is Copper," Leu said, Copper gazed across at Mike, apparently unimpressed.

"I can't believe the Headmaster actually let you bring her. I've always heard that he hates toads," Delia said. Leu frowned at that. "My father told me that he used to use student's toad familiars as guinea pigs for testing things in his Potions class."

"Hey, stop teasing him about the frog, okay? Besides, it's Craw who's in charge of Potions now, and she never experiments on any familiars," Lucky said. "So how was summer?"

"Rather boring, actually. I spent most of it helping my father take care of the Postmaster's Owls," Delia admitted.

"Yeah, I worked most of the summer too, although we did take the boat out for a few days," Lucky said.

"I wish I would have had enough sense to have found a job over the summer," Mike said dryly. "Neither of my parents were thrilled when they found out I wanted to be an Auror. My mother think it's too dangerous and spent the entire summer pointing out random scars on every Auror who made the papers, while my father told me there was no money in it and that I was making even a worse mess of my life than he already thought I would. That's not even getting into what Don is saying…"

"Oh, ignore Don, Mike. What would he know? He only picked Magical Industry because that was what your father wanted," Delia said.

"What? I never seen him around the Arithmantics rooms," Lucky said. "It was my one place I could count on him not ever showing up."

"You're right, he hates math, but it isn't like he doesn't have a job even if he does poorly on it. Father's already said he's inheriting the company, and Beth is inheriting the house," Mike snorted.

"What do you inherit?" Leu asked.

"Freedom," Mike said dryly.

"In that case, it sounds like you got the best deal," Leu decided solemnly. Mike looked at the young boy with amusement.

"You're right," Mike agreed, and then looked over at Lucky. "I like him. Are we going to make him an Owl?"

"I expect that's going to totally depend on what house he's in," Delia pointed out. "Both Slytherin and Gryffindor are still full this year. We have an opening in Hufflepuff now, since Lindsay graduated, and of course Ravenclaw has three spots to fill."

"Don't remind me, that's going to be a chore," Lucky sighed. "But hopefully Pimra and Jessica have some ideas."

"I don't think I've met a Jessica," Leu said.

"Yeah, she's new. We picked her up last year to fill in that last spot at Boulderdash's recommendation because she spent almost as much time in the library as we did," Delia said. "Although she is hard to warm up to at times."

"She's not any worse than Pimra was than she first joined, she's just really focused," Lucky shrugged.

"Maybe that's why she turned into such a keen Quidditch player," Mike said.

"Yeah, but the Ravenclaw dominance of Quidditch ends this year. After all, they have to replace most of their team. We'll have more of a shot this year," Delia decided.

"Hey, Lucky, now that you don't have to worry about Dale killing himself out there, I don't suppose you'll be willing to go to the games?" Mike asked mischievously.

"I don't wanna see any of you killed either you know," Lucky said defensively.

"Aw, Lucky, how sweet!" Delia said with a chuckle. Even Mike was grinning at her.

"She's always had a big heart," Leu agreed.

"Aw, Lucky, how sweet," Mike teased, and they both chuckled.

"Hey, cut it out!" Lucky scowled.

"You will watch the games if I get on a team, won't you Lucky?" Leu asked seriously.

"You're not going to get on a team! You're a first year! They won't even let you try out!" Lucky said. Leu frowned.

"Well, that depends, really. Leu, when is your birthday?" Mike asked.

"I'll be twelve on November thirteenth," Leu said.

"In that case, you very well can try out if you want, but you'll have to do without a good broom if you have one," Mike said.

"I have a good broom I got for Christmas, but I had to leave it at home," Leu agreed. "That's all right. I think I'll try out anyway… you know… practice for next year," he said diplomatically when he saw Lucky's expression.

"I guess it'd be too much to ask you not to break your neck at Hogwarts your first year here?" Lucky said in annoyance. Leu simply gazed at her solemnly while the other two exchanged grins before digging out their money for the trolley.

As interested as he was in the conversation of the other three about summer, school, and their plans for the order, it was not long after he had finished an apple and his drink that Leu realized that a nap was going to be the best way to pass the time. Even then, he was too excited to sleep for too long, especially when Copper decided not to stay still, singing out a low hollow call as if expecting an answer over the noise of the train. But at last he felt himself being nudged and realized he was leaning on Lucky's arm after finally falling asleep.

"Come on, you need to get moving. Here, let me have Copper, I'll take her in. You got enough to deal with what with the boats and Sorting and stuff," Lucky said, grabbing the frog which ribbited in protest.

"Boats?" Leu repeated curiously, but before anyone could answer, the train began to slow down and the others immediately got up to put gather up their things. A swarm of students all seemed to get up and leave at once, and Leu grabbed onto Lucky, afraid to lose her in the crowd. Lucky rolled her eyes.

"Calm down, you're usually better than this! Head over with the others standing with Doctor Sagittari," Lucky said. "I'll see you inside."

"Sagittari?" Leu echoed, glancing over the heads of the students to see a centaur in Hogwarts robes, motioning students over.

"Come over here, please! I need to make sure you are all present before we load you into the boats. That includes you, Mr. Murphy," Sagittari said when he saw Leu hesitate. Quickly, Leu walked into the mix to see another boy as short as he was but not quite so thin who seemed to be sizing him up. He had dark, tossed hair that seemed to be in his face whether he liked it or not and dark brown eyes.

"So you're Mr. Murphy," he said matter-of-factly, when the centaur was busy gathering others. "Are you Irish, then, Spud?"

"My father was. My mother was from Manchester…"

"What house were your parents in?" he asked.

"My father went to school in Ireland, and I'm not sure what house my mother was in," Leu admitted.

"What? Haven't you ever asked her?" he gaped.

"I never had a chance. They're gone now," Leu admitted solemnly, the boy frowning unsurely at him. "But I know what house my adopted father was in. He was in Slytherin." The other boy grinned.

"Brilliant! My father was a Slytherin too. I'm Keir Box," he introduced.

"I'm Leu," Leu said, and then paused when Keir acknowledged his name as Sagittari began reading them out.

"My father runs a packaging company. You know, things in glass bottles that might have to go through the Owl Post. What does your father do?" Keir asked.

"I'm not really supposed to talk about it," Leu admitted.

"Why not? Too good for the rest of us then?" Keir taunted.

"Well, yes, sort of…" Leu said. Keir squinted at him. But then Leu heard his own named called and became alert, watching as others were called out after them and Sagittari began to load the boats.

"Enter the boats calmly and quietly," Sagittari warned, when Keir seemed to be experimentally rocking with his feet to see how study it was.

Leu tried his best to ignore him, even when he sat down beside him. It was easy to do, however, because he happened to be sitting at the edge of the boat. He could have sworn he had seen movement in the water; strange, unexpected movements. They didn't seem to be fish; although there seemed to be plenty of those too; darting about as if frightened by their presence. Or perhaps it was the shadows that frightened them, Leu mused, as the boats slowly drifted out onto the lake.

"What are you looking at?" Keir asked.

"I thought I saw something in the water," Leu said.

"It's just the reflection," Keir said impatiently, looking up at the castle. "Never mind the water, look at Hogwarts!"

"I've seen it before, but I've never noticed the water move like that before…" Leu explained impatiently.

"What? You liar! There's no way you've seen the school before!" Keir said in annoyance. "None of the rest of us have."

"Well, I have. What do you suppose lives down there?" Leu wondered.

"Why don't you find out?" Keir said, giving him a shove.

It didn't take much of a shove; Leu was already leaning further out of the boat than he should have. But he was too busy adjusting to the temperature change to care about the mix of laughter and worried cries coming from the boats when he fell in and began sinking in the dark lake. But he wasn't about to swim back up to shore until he found out what was causing the strange ripples along the surface.

Suddenly he felt something wrap around his legs and waist, and before he had time to realize he had found out the answer to his question, he found himself being dragged up to the lake's surface until he actually dangling upside down above the water. Glancing down he got a brief glimpse of the Kraken just before it unceremoniously tossed him into Sagittari's boat and retreated back onto the lake. Sagittari let go of a silvery whistle that was hanging around his neck and helped Leu get into a seat, which wasn't hard considering the doctor was the only one in that particular boat.

"Are you all right, Mr. Murphy?" Sagittari asked. "Thought you'd take a swim?"

"It wasn't my idea, Doctor, someone pushed me, actually… but I didn't mind, really. It isn't as if I can drown," Leu explained. Sagittari cast a drying spell on him, the vortex that momentarily surrounded him taking his breath away.

"There are many other dangers in the water than just drowning, Mr. Murphy," Sagittari said.

"Yes, sir, I know that," Leu answered solemnly.

"Then we will consider the matter closed, unless you want to tell me who it was who pushed you in the lake?"

"No, sir," Leu said evenly. "If you're going to let me off the hook, he should probably be let off the hook too."

"Or tentacle as the case may be," Sagittari said, turning his attention back to the approaching school.

Pretty soon, Leu found himself being asked to disembark, and then Sagittari began working to get everyone else safely off the boats. Keir, subdued in fear of getting in trouble, still eyed Leu warily from where he stood with a pack of other boys.

"Just up the stairs, students. Professor Weasley shall meet you there, and I will see you at the feast," Sagittari told them, making sure they were all on their way before finally slipping out of view.

"Welcome, welcome! Let's not be all day about it," Professor Weasley said when she noticed Leu and some of the other students lingering to try to see where the centaur went. "There is still a lot to do before you can get settled, so it's best that you pay attention so we can get you at your tables and fed… your fellow students and advisors will help you from there… down this hall right here," she said, leading them in.

"Why don't you lead, since you know the way," Keir muttered to Leu.

"I've never been in this part of the castle before," Leu whispered back. "I've only been up to the Headmaster's Study."

"Snape's study? Now I've heard everything…" Keir said.

"Quiet down, please," Weasley said when she got to a massive set of doors. "Let me go make sure they're ready for us, please wait patiently." She slipped inside and looked up at the main table, rolling her eyes with a grin.

"Hermione thinks it's going to be a long year for some of them," Jennifer murmured in response.

"It's always a long year for first years," Severus murmured back. Waiting for the last of the students as well as Sagittari to take their places, he nodded for Hermione to continue, and she slipped back out, smiling at Leu and the rest of the students before opening the doors in front of them.

"Straight down the center, ladies and gentlemen," Professor Weasley said, turning and walking ahead of them. Keir looked dubiously up at the long row of professors, and at the Headmaster who sat with a very unreadable expression on his face.

"I feel like we've been put on trial," Keir muttered, but then bumped into the student in front of him. "Keep moving, Murphy. What's your problem now?"

"There's a ghost up there," Leu said in a low voice, while several other students walked around him. "On the right past Professor Craw. Do you see it? It's watching us."

"They're all watching us. No, scratch that, they're all watching you," Keir said, and Leu noticed it was quite true; with his parents especially watching him with concerned but baffled expressions.

"Come, come, assemble here… move up here to me, Mr. Murphy," Hermione said. Leu shuffled over a bit so he could stand on the far side of where the ghost was, hoping that the other students would be enough of a shield if it decided to come any closer.

"He seems to be nervous about Ick, Severus…"

"Jennifer, I am putting my foot down. They are all our students, and we are the staff, and I will not have you singling any of them out, relation or not," Severus murmured to her with a firm gaze that immediately quieted her as the first few names were called.

"Keir Box," Hermione called out, and Jennifer noticed Danyelle shift in her seat. Apparently, Jennifer wasn't the only one 'singling out' students.

"_Slytherin!"_ the Hat called out, and Danny began clapping enthusiastically.

"Fantastic," Danny said. "Hope he's half the Quidditch player his father was, if so we'll have it made, especially since Ravenclaw is having a building year." Jennifer gave her a dirty look.

"Too right you are. With Ravenclaw replacing four, I'd say we all have a shot for a change," Andrew agreed, clapping again when the Douglas boy went to Gryffindor.

"Karen Fischer," Hermione said with a smile, and Jennifer noticed Sally had a sudden interest. Jennifer couldn't help but chuckled softly to herself, for despite Severus' plea to keep from showing favoritism, all of the advisors were jumping every time they heard a last name the first year shared with an earlier student they had been fond of.

_"Hufflepuff!"_ the Hat declared, and it was Sally's turn to clap enthusiastically.

"Matt Meyers," Hermione called out, and a boy standing in the back with a smug expression stepped up to the stool.

"Oh, that one is mine," Danny said with amusement.

"Great, another Meyers," Andrew muttered with a lot less enthusiasm. Severus threw them both a dirty look.

"_Slytherin!"_ the Hat called out, and Andrew joined the others in applause, although perhaps a more reluctant one than some of the others.

"Llewellyn Murphy," Hermione said with an enigmatic smile, glancing over her shoulder as the grey-haired boy shuffled up to the stool with an expression of one being condemned rather than getting Sorted. But he needn't have worried. The Hat only mulled it over a moment or two before it called out, "_Ravenclaw!"_

"Oh, brilliant! I had hoped he would, I should have known it!" Jennifer said with open enthusiasm, and didn't stop until she noticed Severus drumming his fingers impatiently beside her. Hermione simply grinned at her, waiting for her to settle down. "Oh, do continue," she said, and Hermione cleared her throat and did so.

There really weren't any upsets that year or any surprises except for a Muggleborn or two that they really hadn't known well enough to judge for sure where they were heading. It did occur to Jennifer that the staff seemed to be much more entertained by the ceremony than the students were, but when they were all settled into their houses and were meeting their housemates, the relief of knowing where they belonged more than made up for it.

Severus stood up, gazing out at them in a way that always quieted them down almost immediately.

"I won't be long at this, as you know I abhor long speeches as much as you do, but I do have a couple of staff members to introduce, although one for certain will not be much of a surprise," Severus said, glance to Jennifer's left. "That would be our new Herbologist instructor, Madame Willowby," the students clapped politely, but none so much as the Gryffindor table, being thoroughly egged on by Natalie and Hope. "Considering she's the only student I ever had in my teaching career who had a tree as a familiar, I can't imagine anyone else taking that position," he added, getting a chuckle from the students while Rose's face grew decidedly red. "We also have a new Defense professor this year as well," he said, gesturing to the tall man on the right side, displaying his badges proudly. "That will be taught by Commander Bellamy, recently retired from the RBF who has a refreshing outlook and a challenging curriculum in store for you." Bellamy nodded curtly in agreement. "For those of you returning from last year, I know it was a bit rough for all of us, what with the absences and all the substitutions, and it did have some effect on overall student performance, regrettably, so do not be surprised if teachers in the heavier courses backtrack a bit during the first few weeks to drill you in things you will need to have perfected before you can continue on. Yes, it will decidedly mean more homework than normal, at least until Halloween, but considering most of you got a free ride on homework in Professor Willowby's Potions class last year, it's a fair trade," he said. The students' expressions betrayed the fact that they didn't quite agree with him. "Very well, let's eat and get up to our rooms, shall we? You may begin," Severus said, the plates filling even before he sat down.

He was just getting settled himself and listening to the chatter of the staff when a loud familiar howl erupted from the Ravenclaw table. He looked up in surprise just in time to see Leu dive under the table as the house ghosts came in to check out the new students. Icarus had been the only one not to have floated out there; but that fact hadn't made up for the fact that Nearly Headless Nick had decided to take a shortcut through the Ravenclaw table at an angle where for a moment only his severed head had been visible moving along it.

Many of the students burst out into laughter at Leu's reaction, but Bellamy watched as a seventh year girl from the Gryffindor table darted over to help him along with several others who seemed to come from the other tables.

"What a total and complete ninny!" Bellamy declared. "I bet that little milksop never amounts to much, not with that obvious lack of nerve. Probably babied all his life… his parents ought to be ashamed of themselves."

"On the contrary…" Severus began, and then noticed his wife getting up. "Jennifer…"

"Now, don't start, Professor, I happen to be his advisor. It's well within my rights to go down there," Jennifer said curtly, walking to the end of the table where several other students and Nick himself were crowded nearby, trying to coax him out.

"I wasn't trying to frighten the lad. I was just intent on where I was going," Nick said defensively, hovering back a bit when he saw Jennifer hurrying over.

"Perhaps it'd be better if you went ahead over to the Gryffindor table, Nick, I can handle this," Jennifer assured him then looked down to see Lucky sitting under the table near where Leu was crouched with his eyes covered and clinging to the table leg.

"It's not the big deal you're making it out to be," Lucky sighed. "Most of the ghosts here are pretty harmless, except for maybe Mrs. Norris, and Peeves, and sometimes the Bloody Baron…"

"Lucky, you're not helping," Pimra said from where she was sitting, peering under the table. "The point is they're just like regular people with their own personalities, Leu."

"They're not people! They're dead people!" Leu shouted.

"Oh… well, yeah, hard to argue with that," Ambrose admitted.

"Llewellyn," Jennifer said, peering under the table. "Come on out, Leu. Let me take you to your room. Come on, I doubt there will be any ghosts lingering in there, and if you like, I'll have Zack ask them not to go in there. Now, let's go. We've already caused enough of a scene for one night." Leu peeked over at her, frowning at that.

"Are they gone?" he asked bluntly. Jennifer sighed and stood up, motioning to Icarus who had been watching the situation carefully. He immediately floated over.

"Would you ask the other ghosts dematerialize for just a moment so I can get him out of here, please, Professor Ravenclaw?" Jennifer said.

"Very well, but I'm quite sure they will be put out about it," Ick said, disappearing himself. "This isn't going to be a permanent sort of thing around the boy, is it?"

"I certainly hope not," Jennifer said. "I think he just needs time to adjust, really. All right Leu! Enough is enough, please come out of there. You're making life awfully difficult for your family at the moment."

"I don't mean to cause trouble," Leu sniffled.

"I know you don't. Come on, they're all gone now, it's safe," Jennifer coaxed. Slowly Leu crawled out from under the table, Lucky following behind him. "Very well, everyone else back to their seats while I see Leu to his rooms. It's all right now," Jennifer insisted, putting an arm around the boy and leading him out through the front.

"Now look at that! After that horrid display, there she goes babying him out of the room. Shouldn't she be discouraged from that sort of thing?" Bellamy said disapprovingly, unaware that Andrew, Anna and some of the others beside him were giving him a piercing look.

"Yes, probably, but there is one problem with that, Ace, and that would be that there is no point in even trying." Severus admitted, glancing back over at him. "I've never been able to discourage Jennifer out of doing anything." Danny and Hermione grinned at each other before they turned back to their meal.

Jennifer was quite tired by the time she had her talk with Leu, got everyone's schedules passed around, and finished a routine security check. In fact, she was halfway to their rooms when she gasped and ran down the stairs to the hospital wing and into the daycare room.

"I'm so sorry it took so long!" Jennifer blurted out when she saw Ashley still sitting in a rocking chair with Quintin in her arms. Rose had already picked up her two and the lights had been dimmed.

"Oh, it's all right, Jennifer. I know you have a lot to do this first night, and it's not like I have much to do at home until Toby gets back from you-know-where," Ashley said good naturedly, handing him over.

"All the same, I shouldn't have dawdled so. I'll try to do better in the future…"

"Feel free to take your time," Ashley protested with a smile. "He's really a very good baby… although I have noticed he does tend to empty his bottles fast and he's starting to gain a bit of weight. Time to start him on solids, I should think."

"Oh, not already, surely! The book I have says I should wait a couple more months…"

"It's not a book's place to decide whether or not he's ready, Jennifer, you of all people know that," Ashley tsked.

"All and all I'd rather play it safe. I'd rather not mess this one up," Jennifer said protectively. Ashley looked surprised.

"I really don't think you messed any of them up, Jennifer. All of your older children are brilliant in their own right and in their own fields. Personally, considering everything you've all been through, I think they've all turned out miraculously well," Ashley said.

"I suppose they have at that," Jennifer decided. Ashley smiled at her.

"Have a good night, Jennifer. We both have to get up early, you know. Big day tomorrow."

"Good night, Ashley," Jennifer said in agreement, carrying Quintin to the Door Lift and then straight through the study into their rooms.

It was Severus who got up with him in the morning, and after seeing how quickly the baby downed the bottle decided to try his luck with pink porridge and met with some limited success. It only took a few bites before Quintin was ready to lay down for an after breakfast nap, so Severus had plenty of time to dig into his first of the year paperwork and plans for the next board meeting. A caw from Descartes alerted Severus to the presence of a delivery owl, and after thoroughly hushing the erring Stymphalian and quietly scolding him, Severus accepted the letter from the Ministry Owl and opened up the folded note.

"Oh, no, not again," Severus groaned. "Why do they ever try to keep anything secure in that building?"


	7. Bellamy

Chapter Seven

Bellamy

Maurice Craw glanced over his letter thoughtfully before walking into the Great Hall. He found his mates sitting in their normal seats a third of the way down the table.

"About time you got up," Cain said.

"I've been up, actually," Maurice said, sitting down across from Garvan. "I just received some troubling news. Apparently someone broke into the Ministry of Artifacts and stole something out of there."

"Really? Was anyone hurt or anything?" Max frowned.

"No, no, it seems to have happened overnight," Maurice said in a low voice. "I wasn't told exactly what was taken, but it was in the holding vault where they store unsafe items. Apparently it was something extremely rare and not easy to get a hold of."

"Like an invisibility cloak?" Cain asked.

"Rarer, like only one of a kind… rare enough someone would be willing to risk riling up the Ministry for. I don't know," Maurice murmured. "Father's not sure what's going on yet. He thinks it's an inside job because that was the only thing taken out of the vault and because of how few people knew it was there."

"All that work Minister Malfoy has put into the Ministry over the years, and there are still pockets of corruption," Cain said, shaking his head.

"Don't be daft, Cain, there are always moles lurking in every political body and I've no doubt that there is one behind this matter. It isn't someone high up, that much I know. Malfoy doesn't appoint anyone to a position if he doesn't trust them implicitly, even if his choices haven't always been popular. But every Minister has an assistant or two, a few secretaries and case agents and undersecretaries, and any one of them could be behind it."

"Well, I doubt anyone in my father's office, but I can see what he thinks about all of this," Max said.

"I certainly don't think it's anyone in father's office, either, but you know how many other specific ministries there are, not to mention individual departments. This might take awhile," Maurice admitted.

"Unless the item itself shows up, of course. I wonder if the press knows about the theft?" Garvan wondered.

"Well, the paper isn't here yet, and we certainly can't wait for it considering we have an early double today. Let me check on my nephew real quick before we go," Maurice said.

"Good thing he wasn't sorted into Slytherin house. With the way the Baron carried on last night, they'd have been changing his sheets for sure," Garvan said dryly.

"He's had a very rough life, Gamban. If any of you had been forced to live with goblins for a few years, I'd say you would be a bit imbalanced as well," Maurice said getting up. "I'm sure a few years at Hogwarts will set him straight, however. Until then, I shall do my duty and be supportive."

"You take your obligations to your family way, way too seriously sometimes, Maurice," Cain said, shaking his head.

"I'm a Craw," Maurice said simply, walking towards the Ravenclaw table. Shrugging at each other, his three companions got up and followed behind him.

Leu was sitting at the far end of the table away from the other students, picking at his food distractedly. Every now and then there was a ribbit from Copper, who was sitting on his lap and trying to comfort him.

"Good morning, Llewellyn," Maurice said, nodding coolly to the other first year Ravenclaws.

"Hi, Uncle Maurice," Leu said. "Do you need something?"

"Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing," Maurice admitted. "I hope your housemates aren't bothering you about that ghost business yesterday. Are they?"

"Oh, well, maybe some, but I'm sure they don't mean anything by it," Leu assured him.

"You have enough to adjust to without having to worry about that sort of rubbish, Llewellyn. If they trouble you further about the issue, just let me know. I'll make certain it doesn't happen again," Maurice said, eyeing the others disapprovingly. One of the bolder ones, a boy named Jimmy Minster, stuck his tongue out at him. Immediately, Max uncuffed his sleeve and slid out his wand just enough to cast a quick curse on him, his tongue immediately tying into a knot.

"I was the one who volunteered for first detention, and there you go showing off again," Cain protested as they walked casually away from Jimmy and his friends, who were struggling to figure out how to get it untied.

"I doubt they'll give detention for that, especially on the first day," Max shrugged. "Besides, it's not my fault you're so slow to react."

"I am not! I just didn't have my wand somewhere it wouldn't be obvious if I pulled it out, that's all," Cain said defensively.

"I won't even ask," Max decided, while Garvan simply snickered softly.

It took one of the older students to come over and unhex Jimmy before his tongue was finally fixed, but even then it felt so strange and numb that he still couldn't talk right away.

"He'll be all right. It's more uncomfortable than harmful," Pimra said.

"What a nasty trick to pull on a first year! Someone ought to turn him in," Kim said. "Which one was it?

"I don't know, one of those thugs with the Craw boy," said the girl sitting next to him. "They told us to stop picking on Leu or else."

"Have you been picking on Leu?" Pimra asked.

"Well, it's kind of hard not to," said Colby, sitting across from Jimmy. "I mean, well look at him, seriously!" he said, gesturing over at Leu who gazed back at him guardedly.

"He's so scared of ghosts that his hair is turning grey, he can't manage to stay in a boat, and he hasn't said a word to any of us since he got Sorted last night," Jimmy said.

"He also sleeps with the covers over his head," Colby said. "And his frog sits on the nightstand and stares at us and starts making noises if we go anywhere near him. Strange noises, like she's going to attack us or something."

"You're afraid of his frog?" Pimra asked flatly.

"That isn't a normal frog," Colby said defensively.

"Come on, Copper. I know when we're not wanted," Leu said, grabbing his book bag and picking up the frog off his lap before glancing over to Pimra.

"Can you tell me the way to the Defense Room? I think I'd like to go now to make sure I can find my way so that I'm not late," Leu explained.

"I'll show him. I have Dabblers first anyway, and she'll have something laid out for us," Paula volunteered.

"Maybe I'll walk along too then. I'd rather have a pastry than something this heavy," Kim decided, getting up as well.

"Thanks," Pimra said and sat back down.

"What are you thinking about?" Jessica asked.

"Possible recruits, perhaps," Pimra said.

"Well, I don't know about Paula and Kim, but I think Leu is a shoe in. He really acts like he needs us," Jessica said.

"True, but I'm not sure if he'd actually be willing to join, what with Boulderdash and all," Pimra said.

"Does he even know about Boulderdash yet?" Jessica asked in a low voice. Pimra shrugged unknowingly at her and went back to her breakfast.

* * *

"Are you going to try out for Quidditch this year?" Paula asked Kim as they walked down the hall, barely acknowledging Leu who was following behind them.

"Of course, I am. They have to fill four spots, you know, but I think I'm going to stay on the football team as well," Kim said. "I like to stay competitive."

"Really? I was thinking of dropping that, there's absolutely no point in staying with it now that Dale has graduated," Paula sighed forlornly.

"Off to college, probably there already, and surrounded by sophisticated college girls. Lucky will be a far off memory to him soon enough," Kim said with some satisfaction.

"I don't think Dale would do anything to hurt Lucky," Leu said with a frown.

"Not on purpose, I'm sure, but I very seriously doubt he'll be able to help himself. There won't be a girl there who won't be jumping at the chance to jump him," Kim said.

"That might be, but you really oughtn't say things like that in front of Leu," Paula said, gesturing back at his serious expression.

"It isn't if I'm saying anything that Lucky doesn't know already," Kim said. "Over this way, Leu, at the end of the hall. If you went down this hallway there, you'll see the Charms and Transfiguration rooms, and over there connecting the main stairwell is the Gym if you're interested in sparring and that sort of thing."

"I'm not interested, but I'm taking it anyway," Leu sighed.

"Most of the other classrooms are spread out. Madame Black's rooms are at the far end by Carnegie's office, and of course, the greenhouses and Herbology classrooms are out near the back courtyard, and Divination and Astrology in the two towers not housing students… oh, and Snape's classroom is up a few floors, but you'll find it's easier to get there using the back stairs there… Potions class is a floor down in the dungeon."

"Dungeon?" Leu repeated unsurely.

"Of course, they need somewhere to put bad first year students in detention, don't they?"

"Kim, really," Paula said, shaking her head at her. Kim smiled evilly at her but didn't say anything else, stepping over to the Defense room door.

"There you are, Leu! Have fun in Defense. Try not to scream too loudly when things start jumping out at you in there, we do have class down the hall, after all," Kim said.

"Thanks," Leu said, shuffling into the room and sitting down in the far back of the room.

The desks had all been scrunched up together to leave extra floor space in the center. Even the teacher's desk was against a wall to the back, and Leu couldn't help but wonder why they would need so much floor space. Deciding forewarned was forearmed. Leu got out his book and began reading ahead in case there was anything nasty right off the bat. But the first chapter was nothing more than an introduction entitled, "The Dark Arts; What is it, and Why Do You Need to Defend Yourself Against It?" Leu scrunched up his nose. The chapter was much too general to be of any use. In fact, it sounded rather silly. Wasn't it rather obvious why they needed it already?

Leu looked up to notice that the desks were filling up, including Keir Box, who rolled his eyes when he saw that they were sitting class with Leu and the Ravenclaws.

"Well, I think we know who is going to flunk any course on ghosts," Keir sneered.

"ATTENTION!"

Most of the class jumped in their seats, although nobody had the misfortune to fall out of it. Leu, however, clung onto his desk for dear life.

"I said attention! Everyone stand beside their desks, feet together, hands at your sides… left side of the desk, not right, just as you would a broom. Your _other_ left, thank you, where do you think you are, America?" he boomed. The first years quickly scrambled to do as he said, although Jimmy was brave enough to raise his hand after he did so. "I didn't say salute, sir. Take your place!"

"I just wanted to point out that we haven't had broom lessons yet, that's all," Jimmy said.

"Then you're excused, but don't let it happen again," the irate teacher warned them. "My name is Wing Commander Earnest Ace Bellamy, and you will refer to me as Commander, or Commander Bellamy. From now on, when I say attention at the beginning of class, I expect you to snap-to immediately for inspection. You should be beside your desk, book centered on your desk and perpendicular to it so that all sides are exactly twelve-and-a-quarter inches on two sides and six-and-a-half on the other, and your homework rolled up in a diagonal on your book so that it does not roll off. If it is not properly balanced and it falls onto the floor, it will not be counted. It will also not count if there are smudges, inkblots, jelly stains or any other unpleasantness within it. I expect it to be neat, and your name, last name first, date, and an identification number…which I will provide you… should be printed on the scroll precisely two inches from the top of the paper with special attention to the fact that you should always have a one inch margin on the left and right. Any questions thus far?" The students simply gaped at him.

"I also expect you to come in here in fully pressed robes and ties every single morning, shoes shined, socks in good repair, and hair neat and out of your faces. If it's long enough to be tied back it will be tied back, although I will warn you that in certain circumstances such as a nasty brawling fight it would be used against you. For that reason among many others I recommend that you keep it short, even if I can't insist," he said, sounding as if he were a bit put out about that.

"You will also learn how to properly wear your robes so you don't look as if you have one arm longer than the other, and if you don't have cuffs on your robes, you will need to get fastenings for them because during certain situations, draping sleeves can be deadly no matter how much in fashion they are. Just from looking you over at this moment, I can tell straight away that none of you would pass even a rudimentary inspection. I expect you will try harder to look your best the next time you enter this classroom, because the daily inspection will be counted as part of your homework marks." He glanced around at the glum student faces.

"Now! Although I don't mind the required reading material for this class as a whole, the first chapter is nothing but rubbish. So instead of filling your minds with cotton and letting your bodies vegetate, I am going to do you a favor and sum up the first chapter in two sentences: Why should everyone learn Defense? It's because I can't teach you if you're dead, and then I don't get paid. Everyone line up! We're going out to the Quidditch Pitch."

"But we're not supposed to be on brooms, yet…"

"As you already informed me, but you're not going to play Quidditch. You're going to go run some laps, because you are not going to be able to defend yourself if you're not in shape! Fall in! You too, ghost boy!" Bellamy ordered, and reluctantly Leu shuffled past him to get in line. "You may be lean, but I don't see a single muscle on you! Exactly what is holding you up? Stop that snickering, chubs, you're too old for that to be baby fat under that chin of yours! Now file out two at a time, and if you don't keep a brisk and quiet pace, I'll be adding more laps than what I've already intended!"

Fortunately for Leu, he was in much better shape than he looked and realized after the first two laps that he was faring a great deal better than most of the other students. But halfway through the third lap, he felt a painful stitch in his side and had to slow to a walk as well, too uncomfortable to pay any attention to the irate Commander shouting at him and several others from across the field.

"I really don't want to go back over there," Matt complained. "This isn't a Defense class! This is a gym class on speed potions!"

"He's just trying to humiliate us to remind us who's in charge," Keir said. "He's trying to break us into submission, he is. Brainwashing 101, RBF Style. We should all complain to our parents."

"For some reason, I don't think it's going to work. At least it won't with my parents," Leu admitted solemnly.

"Well, he's crazy if he thinks we're running laps at the start of every Defense class. I have better things to do than to play to his power trips!" Keir growled. "I've got an idea. Follow my lead… you too, Murphy!"

Suddenly Keir fell and grabbed his ankle, whining that he sprained it. Leu, walking right beside him, looked over in surprise only to have his foot hooked and he found himself on the turf as well. Colby didn't need any prompting, and pretty soon even the girls were doing it so that every time a student jogged anywhere near that corner they decided to take a dive. Soon the entire class, Ravenclaw and Slytherin alike, were all on the ground. But Leu couldn't help but shrink back when he saw Bellamy storming up to his class, more than a little afraid of what he was going to do.

"So, I see I have an entire class with weak ankles," Bellamy said dangerously. "None of you can walk on them? No? Well I can't carry you all, so you will just have to crawl back to the Defense room. Now!" he barked.

"I'm not crawling in my school robes. I'll ruin them!" Keir shouted back. "I don't care what you say, I'm not doing it!"

"What's your name, student?" Bellamy asked.

"Keir Box, and if you don't desist your cruel and unusual methods of torturing students, I am going to tell my parents," he said hotly.

"Do that, Mr. Box, and I'll have some words for you parents as well, since I saw you take the first dive along with your fellow mutineer, Mr. Murphy! And what have you got to say for yourself? Are you going to threaten to tell your parents too?" he asked Leu with a dangerous look in his eyes.

"That won't be necessary, I'm afraid," Leu said solemnly, his gaze shifting behind the commander. Bellamy turned to see the Headmaster watching the exchange with interest, leaning against one of the Quidditch boxes.

"Don't trouble yourself over my presence. Please continue," Severus said, waving it off. "I wouldn't want to disrupt your lesson."

"My lesson was already interrupted. These two boys staged a revolt, sir!" Bellamy growled.

"Did they? Well, I'm sure you can handle it," Severus said unconcernedly, pulling a book out of his cloak. Attempting to contain his irritation, Bellamy finally turned back to the two boys.

"Fifteen points from each of you as well as detention for causing a class disruption!" Bellamy barked at them. Leu shrank back in horror, remembering what the girls had told him about detention that morning. "Now get up and finish your laps so we can continue inside!"

"I can't," Keir said evenly. "I sprained my ankle."

Bellamy was still standing there gritting his teeth over what the rules permitted him to do and what it was he _really_ wanted to do when suddenly a roaring screeching caw rang out so loud that the ground seemed to tremble. Even Bellamy turned around and cried out in surprise as a giant pterodactyl-like creature towered above them, its dark wings flapping menacingly while it stood with its sharp bronze beak partially open, displaying a row of serrated teeth.

Immediately all the students began screaming, causing the monstrous creature to caw out in protest of the noise. Scrambling to their feet, the majority of students ran towards the school in sheer terror. Even Leu, who recognized Descartes right away, suddenly remembered how quickly the bird gulped up fish when it suited him and decided to get up and slowly back away. Finally he turned and ran as well, leaving Bellamy standing there with his wand pointed at the thing.

Recovering from his initial surprise, Bellamy cast the castanet spell in an attempt to get rid of it, but despite the noise, it seemed to have no effect on the giant Stymphalian. It was only then that he realized that a Sonorous Shield had been cast in front of the large bird. But before he could try to counter it, there was a flash from behind him and the castanets he had called up were quickly dispelled, falling to the ground and then disappearing all together. Bellamy whirled around to see the Headmaster standing nearby with a carved wand in his hand.

"Commander Bellamy, would you please stop trying to kill my familiar? Stymphalians are rather rare, and he was just trying to be friendly," Severus said calmly, tapping his wand towards Descartes and returning him to his normal size.

"Stymphalian? Familiar? Friendly?" Bellamy said, looking quite stunned as Severus pulled on a mesh glove. Immediately noticing the action, Descartes flew over and alighted on the Headmaster's arm as gently as possible, warbling pitifully as if demanding sympathy.

"Yes, I told him we were coming to see Leu. Descartes has become quite fond of him since we adopted him, haven't you, Descartes?" Severus said.

"Murphy is your adopted son?" Bellamy asked. He then grimaced, remembering what he had said about the boy at the Sorting Ceremony.

"Don't let it trouble you; most of your classes have a relative of mine in it somewhere, and Lucky is the only one with the Snape name. They have all been asked on numerous occasions to keep their relationship with as quiet as possible. Leu has been the first to actually take that request seriously," Severus said dryly. "In any case, I have a feeling that you will find your students waiting quietly in their seats when you return to the classroom, won't he, Descartes?" Descartes let out a delighted caw that seemed no more menacing than a chipper canary as he flew towards the school. "And use the window!" he barked out after the bird as an afterthought.

"Professor Snape, before you comment any further, sir, I do not think that I was in any way going too far or expecting too much out of them…"

"Did I ever say anything of the sort?" Severus asked with an even expression. "If anything, you didn't go far enough." Bellamy blinked in surprise.

"Well, sir, I thought… after our last conversation…"

"I said to treat them like students instead of soldiers. I never said anything about allowing them to walk all over you," Severus said bluntly. "As long as you keep that in mind, I don't care what you do with them as long as they're learning defense and aren't coming out of there with bodily injuries. Do what you must to bring this situation under control before it comes back to haunt you, because I can assure you the moment this class gets out word of what happened out here is bound to spread to the rest of a school filled with students who'll be chomping at the bit to use it against you. If anything, you just made your job a great deal harder. You'll find, however, that a bit of psychology in this sort of situation will do a lot to minimize the damage, although the right sort of threat doesn't hurt now and again either. Now please do me a favor and get back to your classroom, and don't make me step in for you again."

"Yes, sir," Bellamy said with obvious irritation in his voice as he turned to walk back to his classroom. Sure enough, they were all sitting quietly at their desks when he arrived, while Descartes hissed at them from where he was perched on the windowsill with shattered glass on the floor beneath them. "Open your books!" he snapped. "And the next time anyone decides to take a 'spill' during one of my exercise drills, they will be very sorry they did, and that includes students in my classes later today as well!" he added angrily. Don't push me past my limits, for I guarantee that you will not be happy with the outcome."

Keir snorted softly to himself and opened his book unconcernedly. But Leu was having a hard time concentrating; knowing that he was soon going to experience first hand what a detention at Hogwarts was like.


	8. On Guard

Chapter Eight

On Guard

Harry Potter looked up from where he was standing near the Artifacts vault, smiling apologetically as Aurelius stepped into the room with a grumpy look on his face.

"Sorry I had to call you in, Rel, I know you haven't gotten many days off lately," Harry said.

"It was too windy anyway," Rel reasoned with a sigh. "Is this something to do with the vault breach?"

"Oh… no, it's about another case, actually… the LE department is handling this, but I have to get details on it in case it shows up in dark wizard hands," Harry explained.

"Why, what was it?" Aurelius asked.

"It was called the Proxy Silhouette Replicator," Harry said. Aurelius stared at him.

"Please tell me we don't have to repeat that over and over it again," Aurelius said flatly.

"I've just been calling it the replicator. I don't have the official file, but what it seems to do is creates a sort of ghostly figure that can be manipulated from a distance…I'm not sure to what extent yet, but Alex is digging into it for me. Still, you can see how it could come in handy even to survey things, while the owner can sit back with plenty of alibi's somewhere else."

"Unless he or she is caught with it," Aurelius said.

"True, but it's small…it's a tiny gold cube with mirrored sides, small enough to fit on a necklace or bracelet, even a ring with a bit of work. Fortunately, the storage compartment for the thing was a rather large black Puzzlebox, so it was easy to figure out what item in the vault was missing," Harry explained.

"A Puzzlebox? How did they find out the combination?" Aurelius squinted.

"Obviously, because this was an inside job. Why do you think Thomas has been on the warpath? Every breach that the Ministry has had over the last five or six years has been an inside job in some way, shape or form," Harry sighed.

"I'm surprised grandfather hasn't started lining everyone up in the building for me to eyeball them for him yet," Aurelius said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that was coming," Harry admitted, leading him out of the office. "Of course, the problem is that with a place with this many workers, it's impossible to ever full-proof the Ministry completely from this sort of thing, and you know the idea of opening another vault for Ministry contraband wouldn't go over well with Malfoy; he's afraid it'd just give the goblins more leverage."

"As if they couldn't use what they had already against us," Aurelius said as they stepped into the Auror office to see Laura with her nose in the book. "Now, how are you going to see something flashing on the flag board if you're reading?" Aurelius scolded her.

"I thought you were off duty," Laura said.

"An Auror is never off duty," Aurelius said irritably.

"Did you come in because of the letter?" Laura asked curiously.

"I hadn't told him about that yet," Harry said, but Aurelius was busy studying her face.

"Another one? Let me see it. Is it identical?" Aurelius asked.

"No, different wording, but definitely the same M.O.," Harry said, showing him into the office. "Here's the translated copy and also a copy of the original if you want to see it."

"'Dear Mother and Father; I've decided it is time that I moved out and made my way in the world on my own. As you know, I have been restless of late, and it is because I'm unhappy with my life and am going to go correct that. Please don't worry, I will be fine, although it might be some time before you hear from me since I want to be settled somewhere first. Farewell, Marit,'" Aurelius read with a sigh, and then glanced at the other copy. "It's definitely a different handwriting style. Written by her own hand, I suppose?"

"She disappeared a few weeks ago. The parents just recently reported it because they hadn't heard from her, although they did mention it seemed odd to them that she left at all. She seemed happy at home, had a new job, and so on… they checked at work, but she simply hadn't shown up since that night," Harry said. "And this one is within twenty miles of the last one we got wind of about six months ago."

"Let's see it," Aurelius said. Harry brought out a map, the two of them looking at it thoughtfully. "It's gotta be him, somehow it has to be."

"We don't even know for sure that Foncé's territory goes out this far," Harry said.

"I asked Francis about that, and he said that it would make sense for Foncé to have immediately tried to extend his range the moment he secured his claim… he lost a lot of 'valuable' assets when he released Paris to a fellow clansman and would have gotten something substantial in exchange, and I think it must have been the southern part of the Scandinavian peninsula. I'm fairly sure the one farther north that has been plaguing Archibald is someone else… the vampire there is a bit more careless about where he leaves the corpses, actually…"

"Yeah, I think there's a standing warrant out on that one. Bludovic or something like that…" Harry said, sifting through his notes. "He's at least on the run. Foncé likes to operate in plain sight."

"All the more reason that this has to be him," Aurelius decided.

"But we still have the same problem as before. How do we prove it? Other than somehow managing to manifest a corpse or something," Harry said.

"Well, short of him giving me the opportunity to get an eyeball on him to see if he did it, I'd say we simply have to catch him in the act," Aurelius decided.

"As easy as that," Harry said dryly.

"Well, as easy as setting him up, that is," Aurelius said, glancing out the crack in the door thoughtfully. "You know, I don't think that Foncé has ever seen Laura before…"

"Rel… no," Harry protested immediately. "It's not worth the risk, and I bet he would spot something fishy pretty quick."

"She's supposed to have undercover work for her training anyway," Aurelius pointed out.

"And you're talking about a vampire whom your mother tried killing… and couldn't," Harry reminded him.

"She's never been good at killing anything," Aurelius shrugged. "And she's also not training to be an Auror. You're the one who talked Laura into joining, you hired her, and now you want her to sit behind that desk all day?"

"Of course I don't, but I also don't take a new recruit and throw them at one of our most dangerous targets, either," Harry said.

"She'd have a much better shot than whoever he picks to be the next 'runaway'," Aurelius said. "Especially with us keeping an eye on things." Harry sighed.

"All right, all right. You can start getting her acclimated to the case, but if anything happens to her, you can be the one to tell Carol and Moony," Harry said.

"They knew what she was getting into," Aurelius said calmly. "And it's your fault for asking me to start thinking like a Slytherin." Harry made a face at him.

"Well, we're going to have to come up with a way to teach her how to…" Harry paused when there was a brisk but loud knock on the door. Aurelius opened it and Alex stepped inside, papers in hand.

"Hi, Rel. Hi, Harry. Mission accomplished! I have that information you were looking for and a couple of interesting tidbits on the side, too," Alexandria said, closing the door. Laura, who had been trying to peer inside, glumly put her head on the desk.

"So what did you find out?" Harry asked, taking the papers she offered him.

"Well, first off, I found out how the replicator works," Alex said, sitting down. "The name says it all, really… it manifests a sort of hazy, ghost-like silhouette of the person using it, but one that has enough substance that it can act as a proxy, or surrogate self, somewhere other than where you are. Apparently, what you're supposed to do is concentrate on this little cube and try to put your consciousness in it, and then it transfers it into this other form. The person can move with it, manipulate it like they would a real body, and if the inventor's claims are correct, they can even cast while in it. It's sort of like the Mallus Mirror, but taken one step further. It not only takes your conscious thought, but it has a second set of mirrors inside that transfer them and manifest them elsewhere."

"But if your consciousness is there, what happens to the person's real body?" Aurelius asked.

"Not much, they stay unconscious while it's going on as far as I can tell," Alex said.

"Then why bother?" Aurelius said.

"Well, for one thing, it's good for risky operations… I mean like going into a situation where one's chances aren't very good of surviving. You can use it to conduct a task like… like planting a bomb or something. If you're image blows up, you just wake up, no harm done and no fear of getting hurt, since it's just a manifestation after all," Alex explained. "I believe that was why it was invented, actually, as a tool during the cold war. It's an espionage device. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if leaving the image as nothing more than a hazy silhouette was intentional, to hide who might be using it."

"So some dark wizard could use this thing to wreak havoc somewhere, and if we happen to catch up to him, all he has to do is wake up and poof, he disappears?" Harry said, not liking the sound of that at all.

"Not to mention the fact that I bet that wouldn't show up on the tracer board," Aurelius said. "And anyone doing it has all the alibis they need."

"Well, on the bright side, if they did disappear after wreaking havoc, they would leave stuff behind… anything they might be wearing, and whatever wand the manifest was using or any other physical item they might have picked up in that form," Alex pointed out.

"At least that's something," Harry sighed.

"I have a question. What was anything that dangerous doing in the Artifacts vault in the first place?" Aurelius demanded.

"What is anything dangerous doing in any vault in this building?" Harry agreed.

"Actually, I have a very interesting answer for that one," Alex said, looking rather smug. "It was Aurelius' fault it was there."

"What?" Aurelius asked flatly.

"That replicator was one of over a hundred items that the Ministry got from that last raid on the Malfoy mansion when Lucius was still alive… the one you tipped the authorities to after your brief stay there, Rel," Alex said. Aurelius grimaced at that. "Not that I think Lucius ever used it; he didn't need to. He had too many lackeys willing to throw themselves into the fire for him. It's more likely he acquired it form one of the many dark wizard families that he had sapped of their funds and assets over the years, so it was just tossed in with the other stuff. When the Ministry had to categorize all of that, I'm sure they were a bit overwhelmed and were in a scramble to put it all safely put away. Recognizing it as a one of a kind item with some back history, they decided to store it in Artifacts, probably without a second thought."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Harry said with a nod.

"So what do we do, other than hope that grandfather can figure out who took the thing?" Aurelius asked. "Because as much faith as I have in him, I do know this sort of internal investigation takes time, and someone probably already has ideas on how to use that thing considering how specific the theft was."

"Well, whoever is using it is going to need an outside source of supplies for his manifestation, at the very least for a wand," Harry reasoned. "A disposable wand at that, considering they'd drop it any time they woke up… multiple wands, more than likely… let's try the pawn shops, starting with Borkin and Burke's, and find out if they've sold an unusual amount of used wands to a single person recently."

"I doubt whoever is behind this would be dumb enough to buy them out a pawn shop likely to rat out the buyer, but it's better than doing nothing," Aurelius agreed with a sigh.

"I'm going to go let grandfather know what we've found out so far. He'll probably have some ideas on the subject as well," Alex said.

"Thanks for the heads up, Alex, you've been a godsend lately," Harry said.

"Sure, Harry, it's nice to feel needed somewhere, at any rate," Alex said with a smile, walking out the door. Aurelius shook his head at that.

"Something wrong, Rel?" Harry asked.

"Nothing, it's personal," Aurelius sighed. "I guess I'm going to head down to the pawn shop, then I'll head back here so we can figure out how to get Laura ready for what I have in mind."

"Thanks, Rel. Let me know if you want to try to get a day off later in the week or something," Harry said apologetically.

"I'll let you know when the wind dies down," Aurelius said dryly, stopping by the lab on the way out.

* * *

Thomas glanced at his appointment book with surprise, calling McFarrin in.

"I have Boltin coming over for lunch, is this right? Today is Tuesday, not Thursday," Thomas said.

"He asked that it be moved up, sir. Do you want me to change it?" the officer asked.

"No, if he asked it to be moved up, there's a reason. He wouldn't upset my schedule if he can help it. He knows how it throws me off," Thomas mused.

"Yes, it throws us off as well," McFarrin agreed. Thomas gave him a dirty look, so McFarrin quickly excused himself back to his desk.

Thomas then went back to work, becoming absorbed in studying the backgrounds of people in the Artifacts department, looking for anything unusual. There hadn't been any new hires in quite a while, he noticed with a frown, and all of them had been hired by Coffers…just like elsewhere in the Ministry, everyone having anything to do with the Ministration before Malfoy took over, had left years ago, and for the most part everyone in the office including Coffers and his assistant Delaney had been fairly reliable over the years. He sighed and stacked the files neatly in alphabetical order and was just about to go over the list of people outside the office who had access to the vault when the clock began to chime. He looked up and took a breath as if to shout something out the door when he saw Thatcher Boltin standing just inside the door, patiently waiting to be acknowledged.

"Oh, you're here," Thomas grunted.

"I know better than to give you an opportunity to tell me I'm late, old friend," Thatcher chuckled.

"Must you stick the word old in there?" Thomas complained, setting his work aside. "It's worse when it's true, you know. Do you want to eat here, the Cauldron, or somewhere else?"

"It would probably be better if we stay here," Thatcher admitted.

"Oh? Working lunch, is that it?" Thomas grunted.

"Sort of, although it's more about keeping you informed as you've requested, Thomas," Thatcher explained. Thomas turned and got them some drinks out of the cabinet, and by the time he turned around, McFarrin had brought in a tray from the cafeteria and quickly retreated again, closing the door behind him.

"Help yourself to the sandwiches," Thomas said, handing him a glass. "So what news do you have for me?"

"I suppose you've already heard that Ludovic Bagman has hired another counselor?" Thatcher began.

"Yes, and if he thinks it'll make any difference in his chances of getting a parole hearing, he's dead wrong," Thomas said with conviction.

"Actually, he hasn't brought it up," Thatcher admitted. "They have filed a complaint about lack of medical treatment, however."

"What? If he thinks he's going to get around the parole board because of a medical condition, he's got another thing coming…"

"No, Thomas, we sent for the staff doctor who said that there was nothing wrong with him that couldn't be cured with a bit of exercise, diet change, and some preventative medicine," Thatcher explained. "It does mean that we're going to start allow him an hour in the yard, however, solitary of course," he added when he saw Thomas squint. "Honestly, I think the doctor did have a point, he's been in confinement for decades, after all. As I recall, you weren't doing well in much less time in one of those cells, and yard rights did you a world of good…"

"Yes, and it gave me a clearer head to plot with," Thomas retorted.

"It also made you a better warden," Thatcher said calmly back.

"I shudder at the thought of Bagman in any sort of power position again. That job was always made for you, if you ask me…"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Thatcher joked. "Anyway, you told me to let you know if there were any changes, even though technically I probably shouldn't be telling you."

"He's more than capable of acting out of that prison, Thatcher, just as he did through his grandson a couple of years ago… and an incident that almost killed my daughter, I might add…"

"Then I must ask again if this is a personal concern of yours or a professional one, Thomas…"

"Both," Thomas said immediately. "Do not let your guard down on the man."

"No chance of that, Thomas. Hinge is in charge of that wing these days," Thatcher assured him. Thomas mulled it over a moment, then grumbled.

"Fine, I suppose there's no helping it. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll overexert himself in the yard and have a heart attack or something… if he does, I'll buy the first round," he added. Thatcher shook his head at his friend with a smile before turning his attention to their lunch.

* * *

"So what's yours?" Matt asked when he found himself sitting next to Leu in the next class.

"Oh, um… Merrow scale," Leu said, carefully getting out of his wand for the first time. The palm wood long was more golden than brown, and felt fairly light in his hand.

"Ouch, that sucks! Those wands are bad luck, you know. I hear they backfire more than they work, unless you're casting hexes," Matt said.

"I don't believe Merrows are bad luck," Leu said evenly.

"Suit yourself, but I'm backing up when you use that thing. I think it's going to blow up in your face. Me, on the other hand, I have a dragon tooth wand," he said proudly. "It's one of the most powerful wand components, you know."

"Maybe you needed a bit of an extra boost in your magic, then," Leu said. Matt stared at him icily, but before he could say anything else, Professor Weasley called them to order to begin practicing their swishing and flicking, hand movements, posture, and all sorts of other minor things that made Leu feel quite conscientious about his actions. The rest of the class soon got bored and grumpy, but Leu noticed that every time they slacked off, Weasley seemed to make them do it over and over again, so he did his best not to give her a reason.

"We'll be starting pronunciation tomorrow, this is a study guide for you including some of the words we will be working on. Don't bother trying to cast any of these, I intentionally broke them up so you're getting only half of the spell, and since you don't know what you're trying to cast, the results wouldn't be satisfactory anyway, trust me," Professor Weasley warned them, handing out the sheets. "I also want you to read the first two chapters, I prefer it if you stay a chapter ahead of what we're working on at all times so that you are better prepared for those sections when we get to them. Now, once more, everyone stand and do your hand movements while I read off this sheet with correct pronunciation so you can practice saying them tonight," Weasley said.

Leu sighed and did as he was told, but by the end was just as tired and grumpy as the rest of them. But finally, they were instructed to head to lunch. As he followed the others out of the room and automatically turned down the hall, he heard his name called and looked around to see Lucky standing there.

"Oh, hello. What are you doing here?" Leu asked curiously.

"I have Muggle Studies before lunch. Black always lets us out early so we can get back to the school on time," Lucky explained.

"Back to the school?" Leu asked.

"Yeah, Muggle Studies is taught at the farm across the tracks, you'll find out in a couple years, since you'll have to take it. Anyhow, my friends and I were wondering if you wanted to come eat lunch with us in the Owl Room, it's in the back of the library," Lucky said.

"All right, but can we drop by the nursery to see Quintin first?" Leu asked.

"Sure, why not?" Lucky agreed, changing her route. "So how do you like Hogwarts so far?"

"I really don't know yet," Leu admitted. "I didn't like my first two classes much."

"Don't worry about it, it'll get better," Lucky said. "Charms is always rough the first couple of weeks, but then it gets interesting. What did you have first period?"

"Defense," Leu said glumly. "And I hate it."

"Not my favorite class either. I'd have dropped it this year if our parents would have let me," Lucky said.

"I don't blame you," Leu decided. "But I have broom lessons after lunch. I am looking forward to that."

"Ugh! That's the worst class of all!" Lucky said with such disgust that Leu grinned at her slightly. "But don't worry, if you break your arm and the instructors leg, they will let you drop that one," Lucky said in a lowered voice.

"Not me, I like flying," Leu said with enthusiasm.

"I think you're crazy," Lucky said as the two of them climbed up the stairs and then walked over the daycare room to peer in. Lucky then shook her head with a grin to see that Jennifer was already inside with Quintin on his lap, talking to Rose and Ashley who were both sitting at the art table with Destiny, Amber, and Gloria. Destiny and Amber quickly got to their feet, running to the two students at the door.

"Lucky! Leu! Lucky! Leu!" they declared before tackling them. Not wanting to be left out, Gloria tackled them as well, while Richard simply ignored the lot of them as he attempted to make a truck he made out of blocks roll on its own.

"It's an official invasion," Ashley laughed as they carried them back in.

"Yeah, but who's invading who?" Lucky asked.

"Well, I think if the footsteps behind you is any indication, they're about to be outnumbered," Jennifer teased as Hermione and Danny slipped in the door.

"You're late," Lucky taunted.

"Sorry, we took the long way to avoid an old dragon in the hall," Danny explained with amusement as they stepped in, walking over to Gloria while Hermione soon got confronted with Rich and his truck.

"That isn't going to work," Jennifer chuckled at them. "He recently had me add this room to his watch."

"What in blazes is going on in here?" Severus said with a scowl as he stepped in behind them and saw the packed room.

"Family reunion?" Ashley suggested.

"Getting there at any rate," Lucky agreed.

"And just what are you doing here?" Severus inquired, raising a brow at Lucky.

"Leu wanted to check on Quintin before we headed to the Owl Room," Lucky answered calmly. Leu nodded vigorously behind her while nervously looking at Severus' suspicious gaze. "There, he's been checked. Let's go, Leu."

"And try to actually eat something? This is lunch time, not extra time for you to get into trouble with," Severus scowled at them. "We wouldn't want you to sprain another ankle traipsing about the halls, would we?"

"No, sir," Leu said before quickly following her out of the room.

"And what was all that about?" Ashley asked curiously when she saw that Jennifer was chuckling softly to herself.

"Leu already has his first detention," Jennifer explained.

"Does he? And the first day of school only half over? I'll have to tell Corey. He'll be so proud of him," Ashley chuckled.

"Yes, very amusing," Severus said dryly, walking over to Jennifer.

"Do you suppose Leu will actually make it all the way back to the Owl Room?" Jennifer asked thoughtfully.

"Quite doubtful," Severus said. Jennifer nodded in agreement.

In fact, they had no more than stepped in the door when Llewellyn stopped dead in his tracks, frowning at the goblin sitting at the library desk, filling a stack of books with crisp, new cards.

"We need to walk through pretty quick, Boulderdash gets cranky if we make too much noise in the main room, but don't worry, it's different in the back," Lucky whispered to him.

"Where is it?" Leu whispered back.

"Just right over there, come on," Lucky said, pointing to the door with the owl on it not far from the librarian's office. But as she started moving forward, Leu hadn't moved. "Are you coming? You're not worried about old Boulderdash, are you? There's no reason to be, you know. He's harmless." Leu noticed the goblin's ear twitch slightly.

"There's no such thing as a harmless goblin," Leu said evenly.

"You really think the Professor would let him work here if he wasn't all right? Besides, Boulderdash is the same goblin who trains me in defense over the summer, we're good friends."

"If he trained you in defense, that just proves he isn't harmless. And I recognize the name… his brother works at the bank. I think I'm going to go eat in the Great Hall," Leu decided.

"But what about the order? I'm supposed to be bringing you back so they can talk to you and stuff…"

"Can't we do it somewhere else?" Leu asked.

"Well, yeah, maybe, although it'd be a lot easier if you just went over there and got it over with, Leu," Lucky said.

"Thanks, but I'd rather not anyway. If it's hard on you, then perhaps you should just find someone else, Lucky. I don't want to cause you any trouble. It isn't important," Leu said.

"It is to me," Lucky snapped. "I really think you ought to come. I think it'd do you a lot of good."

"I'll see you later, Lucky," Leu said, walking down the corridor towards the Great Hall. Lucky let out a heavy sigh, watching him go and wondering what to tell the others.

"Give him some time, Miss Snape," said a quiet voice beside her, and she glanced down to see Boulderdash standing beside her, watching him walk away above the rim of this reading glasses. "He has a lot to adjust to coming to Hogwarts, after all. Give him some time to settle in. But not _too_ much time," he warned, almost as if it were an afterthought, and then returned to his desk. Lucky sighed softly at that before finally turning and walking into the Owl Room.


	9. The Fish Out of Water

Chapter Nine

The Fish Out of Water

Much to Leu's dismay, most of their first broom lesson focused on mounting and dismounting, and Madame Brittle was quite busy with those who had never been on one before. He wasn't sure at first why it bothered him; he was normally not so impatient. Looking for a distraction, he gazed between the stands and into the distance towards the lake. He ached to go over there, and it was in that moment he realized what bothered him was the fact that the freedom he had gained over the last year and a half seemed to be so quickly stifled. He had expected the students not to act favorably towards him; he knew from experience that they understood him even less than he understood them. He had always had decent luck with talking to adults in general up until that point, but so far the staff seemed to make even less sense to him than the students. In fact, it wasn't until Transfiguration that he had a Professor that behaved like what he thought one should act like. Andrew was firm and no-nonsense and gave out lots of homework, making them copy out basic rules of Transfiguration while going over each in turn. But at the same time, there was a kindness to his gaze and he was quickly in tune with his class. He could instantly tell when someone was struggling with a point and smoothly backtracked to go over it again in a way that it almost seemed that he had been planning to get in further depth on it all along.

"Busy work! That's all this is!" Jimmy protested loudly when they walked out of the class. "Not one thing having to do with casting a spell all day, except for those wrist benders Weasley had us doing. Some magic school! When are we going to learn anything _useful_?"

"It's just the first day of school," said a girl in Gryffindor's robes. Leu hadn't been able to keep track with all their names yet; he was having a hard enough time remembering his own housemates' names. "I'm sure we'll get into it all soon enough. Have you all had History yet?"

"No," Jimmy said. "We have it next."

"Well, watch out, because she gave us and Slytherin individual topics to look up and have a summary on before next class. So don't wait on the homework you've got, because there is more to come," she warned. "I for one am not looking forward to trying to figure out how that library is set up, let alone writing my topic."

"Library?" Leu echoed.

"I think that's why Professor Scribe did it, to see if we could find our way around in there," said a boy standing next to her in similar robes.

"Great, that's just fantastic," Jimmy said.

"Don't worry about it," the boy said. "My sister says Librarian Boulderdash knows every book in the entire library, so if you get stuck, just ask him."

"I'm not asking a goblin for help," Leu said evenly.

"Suit yourself. Good luck finding it on your own," the boy said without sympathy, joining the girl and walking down the hall while the Ravenclaws reluctantly turned towards their history class.

Sure enough, it wasn't long after she took roll call and assigned seats that Professor Scribe passed them each a small scroll page with a student name and a topic written at the top.

"Each one of those parchments has a major topic that we will be covering this year in class as we study major events in wizard history," the professor said. "You will find that we will spend as much time on paper composition and in research as we do on memorizing dates and names, and this paper will give me some idea on how well you do at all three of those skills. That way I can look them over and give you a personalized action plan on what you need to work on most if you want to make passing marks in this class by the end of the year. I expect you all to have a paragraph summary with at least six inches of content finished by tomorrow, but if you go to the library straight away after you eat, you should have plenty of time and more to finish it. If you need assistance, Librarian Boulderdash will assuredly be in attendance since I'm sure he hasn't scheduled his student helpers in yet. So! With that in mind, go ahead and read the first chapter for the rest of the class, that way you won't have to worry about that part of the assignment tonight."

At dinner, Leu looked desperately around for Lucky, Pimra, and Ambrose, and when that failed, Natalie and Hope… but there didn't seem to be one friendly soul anywhere that night at dinner. Resignedly, he turned back towards his classmates, scooting closer to them despite the fact that they looked tempted to scoot away from him.

"Do you suppose you could look up my topic and bring the book out of the library for me? I'll pay you four sickles," Leu said.

"What? I'm not your lackey, Murphy, and I don't take bribes, especially from you. Why don't you ask your Slytherin friends? They might be open to that sort of thing," Jimmy said with disgust.

"They're not friends any more than you are. I was just asking," Leu said with a sigh, eating as quickly as he could. "I'm going to go see if I can get this over with."

As Leu slipped out of the room, Jennifer got a firm but unmistakable nudge that could have been accidental if she hadn't known better. Scowling at Severus, he simply directed her attention to her plate before turning his attention back to the conversation that Hermione and Ace were having. Very few students caught the brief exchange… even fewer than those who noticed Leu slipping out towards the library. After all, even goblins had to eat sometime, Leu reasoned, cautiously peering in the door.

At first the library seemed quite vacant, and Leu let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps now he could find the books he needed. But wait, how would he check them out, he wondered, stopping himself just inside the door as he thought of that detail. Just then, he saw the door to the Owl Room open and he quickly scampered back out of the doorway as Boulderdash walked over to the desk, jumping up on the stool long enough to search the desk for a quill and scroll of some sort before hopping back down again and wandering back into the room. After thinking it over for a moment, Leu went upstairs.

Copper croaked out a challenge when he came into his dorm room, but immediately quieted down when she saw who it was.

"I don't suppose you could try to wake me without waking the others up?" Leu asked, more to himself than to the frog. But Copper let out a soft croak as if trying to understand the request. "I want to go to the library after everyone else is asleep to look for some books for my homework, because… well, I'd rather do it when I didn't have to worry about being disturbed by anyone," he explained. Apparently, that made enough sense to Copper, for she immediately leapt onto his nightstand and settled there unconcernedly. "Thanks, Copper. I'm going to try and finish the rest of my homework and take a nap then," Leu decided and was already in bed with the covers pulled over his head when his roommates finally made it upstairs.

"Look at him, like a baby scared of the dark! Have you ever met such an oddball in your life before? I know I haven't," Jimmy said, gesturing at Leu and how he was sleeping. Copper croaked with agitation.

"Watch it, Jimmy, you're going to get his toad worked up again," Colby warned, eyeing Copper warily.

"I'm not afraid of his stupid old toad! What can she do?" Jimmy asked.

Suddenly Copper launched herself across the room at the boys, landing on Jimmy's head, croaking menacingly.

"Get it off me!" Jimmy said he had no luck getting her off himself.

"No way, that frog is nuts!" Colby said. As if in reply, Copper's tongue lashed out as if trying to attack.

"I can't get her off! She seems to be glued to my hair or something!" Jimmy said. "Come help me!"

"She doesn't want me any nearer…"

"She's just a stupid, harmless, toad!" Jimmy said.

"Well, apparently no one told her that," Colby said, still refusing to come any closer.

"That's it! I'm blasting the thing off!" Jimmy decided, getting his wand.

"Wait! Don't do anything stupid…" Colby began, but before he could stop him, Jimmy pointed his wand at his own head. Unfortunately, not only had Jimmy swished when he should have flicked, he had only read the spell he was attempting once and he didn't even come close to pronouncing it right. So as Copper neatly jumped off his head, Jimmy's head swelled up like a melon…and a fuzzy green melon at that.

"What happened?" Jimmy asked in a muffled, dazed tone.

"You just got outwitted by a toad, you idiot! Come on, let's get help," Colby said, warily eyeing Copper, who simply sat there and watched them go.

As the door finally shut, Copper unconcernedly hopped over to Leu's bed and checked under the covers for a moment before finally returning to her spot on his nightstand.

It was several hours later when a load croaking sound woke Leu up. He sat up with a start, quite afraid that her noise would wake his roommates up, but apparently he needn't have worried. As he looked around to where their beds should have been, he noticed a strange lack of shadows, and after lighting a candle, he realized that both beds seemed to have been moved from the room.

"How odd," Leu murmured. "What happened to Jimmy and Colby?" Copper croaked softly, pleased with herself. "Well, I don't know either, but I suppose it's a good thing, isn't it? It'll be easier to sneak away now, and I really need to get to the library. Do you want to come too?" he asked. Immediately, Copper hopped over to the bed. Taking that as a yes, Leu quickly got dressed and got his books together, putting Copper in his pocket.

Leu wasn't exactly sure what time it was, but the common room was still and the halls outside were deadly quiet except for the occasional moan or mumble from ghosts off in the distance. Hopefully, they would keep their distance too, Leu thought nervously, picking up the pace. The castle was quite eerie that time of night and it was easy to get disoriented, but somehow he managed to find the back stairs and work his way down to the library. The library itself was even darker than the hallways, and he didn't think to bring any sort of light source with him. Sighing in frustration, he glanced up at the chandeliers thoughtfully, wondering what the chances were that the old goblin might have matches somewhere.

Suddenly the chandelier seemed to light on its own, and Leu dove for the bookshelves, which were still bathed in shadow. Holding his breath for a moment, he then peered out to look at it, but there was no indication at all what had caused it to do that, nor did he think he was close enough to it to have somehow done it himself by stepping underneath it. He stared at it for a long time, waiting for something else to happen. But when it didn't, he remembered why he was there and got out the paper to remind himself which name he was researching. Wondering how he was going to find it, he began going row by row, studying the books until he realized that they seemed to go by the subject matter. It didn't take long to find the right section after that, although trying to find a specific book on who he was looking for mystified him, for it didn't seem to go in any sort of alphabetical order; if anything, the books seemed quite haphazard.

"May I ask what it is that you are looking for?" said a man's voice right behind him. Leu turned around and then gasped in terror, planting himself flat against the bookshelf as far from the apparition as he could get. It was a middle-aged man from the looks of him when he died, a bit scruffy although his gaze was sharp and his Hogwarts robes were tattered despite his proud expression. "Scared of me too, are you?" he grunted.

"I'm not scared of ghosts, I just don't like you," Leu said curtly.

"And how well does that method work for you?" the ghost taunted him, but Leu was too busy attempting to figure out how to safely get around him to answer. "What book were you trying to steal?" Leu glanced up in surprise.

"I wasn't trying to steal anything. I was just borrowing one for my homework," Leu explained.

"I see. And you do this after curfew, in the middle of the night, and when there is no librarian to check the book out for you?" the ghost asked dubiously.

"The librarian is a goblin. I don't like goblins," Leu admitted.

"In the same way you don't like ghosts, I imagine," the ghost snorted. "Never mind! Find your book, and I'll help you check it out. Don't be all night about it or I'll likely complain to the Headmaster about students disturbing ghosts after hours. Well? What are you waiting for?" he barked. Leu slowly peeled himself off the books, nervously fixing a couple which had fallen to the side because of him before he began reading titles. The ghost sighed. "What are you looking for exactly?"

"I have to write something up on Hengist of Woodcroft," Leu said slowly.

"Is that all? It isn't even a difficult subject. Couldn't you just have winged it?" the ghost asked. "I thought you went to the Hogsmeade school last year."

"Yes, but how did you know that?" Leu asked, catching a pair of books that suddenly floated off the shelf.

"You were adopted by a Craw, and therefore it's my job to know," the ghost said curtly, walking over to the counter. "Follow or I'll tie you up and leave you for Boulderdash to find."

Uncertain of whether or not the ghost could actually do that, Leu decided it would be better not to find out and went up to the counter, then watched as the books he laid down then opened up, a stamper floating up out of an ink pad and marking each book in turn.

"There, now why don't you go back to your rooms before I'm forced to explain what you were doing down here at this time of night?" the ghost scowled.

"You were Janus Craw, weren't you?" Leu asked.

"What was your first clue? Now get out of here before I change my mind and tell on you anyway," Janus said, the books moving as if they were being pushed off the desk. Leu quickly caught them and hurried out of the room. "You're welcome," Janus said dryly, even though the boy was already out of hearing range.

Leu hurried out the door but hesitated after taking just a couple of steps. Making up his mind, he went in the opposite direction. He heard a querulous croak come from inside his pocket.

"I need to unwind. How to do you feel about going swimming?" Leu asked. Copper croaked happily in agreement. But Leu was anything but happy… things weren't going anything like he had expected they were going to go.

He sighed softly to himself, attempting to close off the creepy noises and shadows and simply focus on the hall in front of him until he finally stepped outside and hurried down the stairs. It was a fairly warm evening for September, and that much at least he was grateful for as he paused by the boathouse and stripped down to his underwear, throwing his clothes and books inside the door. He jumped into the water, which was much colder than he had expected so he gave himself a few moments to get used to it before swimming out a bit further. "Let's go, Copper! Race you to the bottom!" he challenged her and dove underneath the surface.

The water was clearer than he thought, and not as deep as he would have liked… too shallow, he realized, for that part of the lake to have been the kraken's normal hunting grounds. Curiously he went further out until the lake opened up and noticed several large underwater caverns near the forest side that went much deeper. It was much too dark to see inside any of them, and Leu knew better than to try and explore further without better light. Fish species he didn't recognize eyed him and then darted away when he coasted through, and he could only imagine what sorts of things might have fallen in the lake over the years by students…perhaps something quite rare and with interesting stories to be discovered. The excitement of having a new place for adventuring made Leu feel a great deal better. Here was a world that none of the other students could ever hope to understand, any more than they understood him. It was a world he had all to himself; and no matter how rough his classes were and how cold the other students were to him, he was quite sure that the lake would make it all worth staying. It wasn't until that moment as he pushed towards the surface that he realized he had even been contemplating running away. But that depression was washed away now, and he was feeling a lot more refreshed and ready to finish that last report so he could go back to sleep and get ready for the next day.

Copper hopped out of the water beside him, croaking cheerfully at the obvious change in Llewellyn's mood.

"I'm so cold! Let me get dressed real quick and we can work on my last assignment by the fireplace in the common room," Leu said, and Copper croaked again, hopping over to the boathouse.

But when he got to the door, it was shut tight.

"Hey!" Leu said in surprise. "Is this some sort of a joke? It's not very funny!" he shouted, rattling the handle and pushing at the door. Finally, he began banging on it.

"You can't come in until you're dry," said the voice of a boy who sounded about the same age as Leu.

"But I'm freezing out here!" Leu said, jumping up and down to keep warm.

"You should have thought of that before you jumped in the lake. What were you thinking, coming out here in the middle of the night? You could have drowned like me, you know."

"I can't drown! And I just want my things back!" Leu said. There was a long pause as the two of them stared at opposite sides of the same door.

"What do you mean you can't drown?" asked the voice.

"What do you mean you could have drowned like me?" Leu asked. Slowly the door opened, and Leu saw the ghost of a boy standing behind it. He was the same height and seemed to have been a similar build as Leu, and would have been fairly good looking if his face wasn't bloated and strangely blue compared to the rest of the wispy image. Taken aback, Leu began to back up.

"Don't go yet," the boy said quietly. "I'll let you have your things back. I'm Noah. Who are you?"

"Leu," Leu said guardedly. "Can I please have them back now? I'm terribly cold." Noah gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment and then let out something like a sigh. Leu's clothes and books were tossed out of the door, and he scrambled to get dressed again.

"How is it that you can't drown?" Noah asked again.

"I can breathe underwater," Leu explained, pulling on his shirt.

"Wow. I wish I could have been able to breathe underwater. I didn't even know how to swim," Noah said wistfully. Leu paused in what he was doing, gazing at him steadily.

"How did you die?" Leu asked.

"I fell in the lake when we were on our way to Hogwarts to get Sorted," Noah said glumly.

"Really? I fell in the lake too, but the Krakens threw me back in the boat," Leu explained.

"There weren't any Krakens then. They were put in later," Noah explained.

"Oh. I suppose that explains a lot… I mean, why Krakens would be hanging out in a lake like this in the first place… it's not exactly normal habitat for them," Leu said. "It wasn't terribly painful, was it?"

"What?" Noah frowned.

"Drowning," Leu answered solemnly.

"Oh. Well, sort of, it was more like extremely uncomfortable than anything, but by the time it might've gotten painful, I had already passed out. Why did you ask?"

"My parents both drowned," Leu murmured.

"Really?" Noah said. "I guess I shouldn't have told you then. I'm sorry. Are they ghosts too?"

"I don't think so," Leu said uncertainly. "I hope not… no offense." But Noah gazed at him sympathetically with a look that seemed much older than his apparent age.

"I hope not too," Noah agreed. "I'm sure it's all right. Most people don't turn into ghosts, you know… just people who have condemned themselves, or a few of us with unfinished business."

"Unfinished business?" Leu repeated thoughtfully. "Do you know what it is?"

"If any of us knew what it was, I doubt we'd still be here," Noah said. "But I think mine probably has something to do with not being Sorted, and if so, I'll always be here. I can't be Sorted because I have no real head for the Hat to sit on."

"Maybe all you have to do is cross the lake successfully in a boat," Leu suggested.

"No way! I'd never do that! I hate the water!" Noah shuddered. "I'm hydrophobic. I'd never go over there."

"But it's just right behind you!" Leu said. At the reminder of how close the lake was, Noah shut the door. Leu sighed. "I'm sorry. I have no room to talk with the way I've been behaving lately. If it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one with phobias, you know. I am a bit fearful of ghosts."

"You seem all right with me," Noah's voice said after a moment.

"I suppose it's because we have so much in common," Leu decided. Noah's face pushed through the door just so he could stare at him.

"I drowned in the lake and you can't drown at all. How can we have anything in common?" Noah asked flatly.

"Well, true, but we both fell in the lake our first day," Leu said. "And even if I didn't drown, my parents did. We look a bit alike, and we're both outsiders at Hogwarts."

"We're not the outsiders, they're the outsiders," Noah said defensively. "I doubt they understand us any more than we understand them. I suppose they pick on you?"

"Sort of… actually, I suppose it's not as bad as all that. I have an older adopted sister in there, and her friends are all right and they asked me to hang with them, but I can't because they meet in the library," Leu said.

"What's wrong with the library? Is it because of the ghosts that hang out in there?" Noah asked.

"Well, mostly it's because of the goblin, really…"

"Do you have a phobia of those as well?" Noah asked with obvious interest.

"No, but I don't like them, and I certainly don't want to be anywhere near one," Leu said.

"Why is that?" Noah asked.

"That would take a lot of explaining," Leu admitted.

"That's all right. I've got plenty of time," Noah said with a soft chuckle, coaxing him to continue.

Perhaps it would have been better had they waited for another evening, but Leu found himself recounting what had happened, often getting interrupted by Noah to clarify points or get into more detail about something he had said. He hadn't noticed how cold it had gotten, or even that the sky wasn't quite as dark. It therefore came a complete surprise to him when Commander Bellamy stumbled into them sitting in front of the boathouse during his morning jog around the lake.

* * *

Severus awoke to the sound of pounding on the study doors and forced himself awake, throwing on a robe and diving for the door in the hope of keeping the noise from happening a second time. Somehow he managed to get into his office before Bellamy managed to knock again… in fact, his fist was poised in the air when the doors swung open, while his other hand was gripped firmly on the back of Leu's robes. Severus stopped in his tracks, squinting at the glum, guilty face on the boy before stepping behind his desk.

"Yes?" Severus said.

"Sorry to bother you, sir, but I thought I had better bring this to your immediate attention. I found Murphy lurking about by the boathouse when I got up for my morning run, and I highly doubt he was doing the same. It is my opinion, sir, that he has been out of his rooms all evening," Bellamy said disapprovingly.

"Mr. Murphy, dare I ask what you were doing out of the castle at… is that all? … ten 'til four in the morning?" Severus asked, frowning in annoyance at his watch.

"I went swimming," Leu admitted.

"Swimming?" Bellamy said dubiously. "With library books under your arm?"

"Library books?" Severus repeated, still gazing fixedly at Leu.

"I did go to the library too," Leu sighed. "But only to get books for my history assignment. Actually, that's the main reason I got up tonight."

"Why in damnation would you do that when there was plenty of time to go to the library after dinner?" Bellamy demanded. Severus raised his hand.

"Commander, you brought this matter to me, and rightly so, and therefore I ask that you allow me to handle this. Dippet, would you ask Librarian Boulderdash upstairs?"

"Wait! I didn't steal the books," Leu said with alarm. "I did borrow them! One of the castle ghosts helped me check them out."

"A likely story! Everyone in the castle knows you're a ninny about the ghosts, Murphy…"

"Commander…"

"He didn't give me a choice, thanks, but I did check it out, honest. I don't care if you punish me for being out after hours, I admit that, but what I told you was the truth. I went to the library, and I went swimming. If you don't believe me, ask Copper," Leu said, pulling Copper out of his pocket. The frog croaked in agreement.

"I believe you Mr. Murphy… even though we need to have words about Copper on an unrelated issue later. Something about attacking your housemates I believe…" Copper croaked in surprise and jumped out of Leu's hands and back into his pocket.

"You believe he was out there to go swimming?" Bellamy asked.

"It was just a matter of time, although I don't know what got into him to pull the stunt in the middle of the night. I think the library is the answer to that, isn't it?" Severus said, gazing at Leu. Leu simply gazed steadily back at him. Just then, Severus heard a noise coming from the other room and he sighed. "Excuse me for just a moment," he said sheepishly before stepping behind the curtain. But he was only gone for a minute or two before he reappeared again. "Sorry, it's being taken care of. Mr. Murphy, I have never known you to ever break a single rule outside of this castle, why is it, then, that in the two days you have been here you've managed to merit two detentions?"  
"Two detentions?" Leu repeated in horror.

"You seriously don't think you're getting out of this with less than a detention do you? Not to mention fifty points, and I can assure you that your advisor is _thrilled_ about that…and that's not even getting into the fact that the sort of thing requires parental notification, which of course she is going to handle as well," Severus added for good measure.

"I hope you're not too disappointed in me," Leu said somberly. Severus quickly caught his initial reaction and shook his head firmly.

"I am not going there, Mr. Murphy," Severus said sternly. He then heard someone on the stairs and glanced up to see Boulderdash standing at the top of it. "Please come in, Librarian Boulderdash."

"Thank you, Headmaster," Boulderdash said cordially. "Up early, I see?"

"Apparently one of us hasn't gone to bed yet. It would appear that Mr. Murphy decided to sneak into the library to acquire some books after hours," Severus said evenly. Boulderdash squinted menacingly at the boy, his black eyes piercing behind his small spectacles.

"They did get signed out," Leu said quickly.

"Where are those books, Mr. Murphy?" Boulderdash asked, and Leu slowly handed them over. Boulderdash inspected them carefully, checking the back cover and then suddenly stopping. "Wait… why is this one damp?" he asked with alarm.

"Probably because Mr. Murphy also decided to go swimming afterwards and took them out to the lake with him," Severus said calmly. Boulderdash growled deep in the back of his throat. "I asked you up here because I have decided to give you one of his detentions."

"Gladly," Boulderdash said with a dangerous spark in his eyes.

"What does that mean?" Leu asked with alarm.

"It means, Mr. Murphy, that Saturday you will be spending it in the library cleaning the stockroom, dusting books, and whatever other chores Boulderdash can come up with as your punishment for being out after hours. As for the other detention you earned yesterday morning, you will be spending Sunday with Professor Ravenclaw."

"What? I thought I was going to get to handle that detention," Bellamy said with a frown.

"Yes, I know, Bellamy, but as insidious as whatever it was you might have had in mind, I can assure you that this double detention is not only a lot harsher than it might seem on the surface, but I am hoping this will stave off any more situations that will cause him to get anymore detentions. However, if he does push his luck and merit another detention in the near future, rest assured that you will get to handle his next one…and for an _entire_ weekend," Severus warned. "Is that quite clear, Mr. Murphy?"

"Yes, sir," Leu said solemnly.

"Then you may return him to his room, Commander… and I had better not hear of you falling asleep in any classes, Mr. Murphy," Severus snapped.

"No, sir," Leu answered glumly.

"March, Mr. Murphy!" Bellamy ordered, and Leu reluctantly walking out in front of him.

Boulderdash watched him them go thoughtfully before turned his gaze onto Severus.

"Are you sure it's wise to put the boy in such a position already, Severus?" Boulderdash asked.

"Leu needs to come to the realization that he can't get away with avoiding you any more than he can get away with avoiding ghosts in this castle. And I'd rather he realized both of those facts as soon as possible so that it doesn't keep getting in his way," Severus said. "I trust that you will find some way to handle your part in this so you both will walk away on speaking terms."

"I suppose," Boulderdash sneered slightly, wondering to himself how he kept getting in these sort of situations. "I noticed you didn't seem to come down on him about that lake thing very hard. I'm not so sure that's wise, either…"

"As it so happens, I have had occasion to look up certain school rules concerning student activities at the lake, and other than being out after hours, he didn't break any; nowhere is it written that students can't swim in the lake if they like," Severus said.

"What about that wooden sign by the lake that says, 'Do Not Feed the Kraken' with the picture of a student getting dragged down into the water by tentacles?" Boulderdash inquired with a snarl.

"Yes, well, not feeding the Kraken is a school rule. Hopefully he'll avoid doing so," Severus said simply, ignoring the fact that the goblin was shaking his head.

* * *

The next morning Leu ate quickly, especially after hearing the grumbles coming from his classmates when they noticed their points had dipped into the red half of the hourglass. Without a word he went to his Defense class and found his seat, standing at attention on cue and completely unsurprised when Bellamy called him out of the lineup.

"It's obvious from the state of those robes that you didn't have time to iron, Mr. Murphy," Bellamy said critically.

"We haven't learned a spell for that yet, Commander," Leu pointed out solemnly.

"Then I expect you had better learn how to do it the old fashioned way! And that's ten more points in coming into the classroom in less than acceptable standards!" he added, the other Ravenclaws throwing Leu a dirty look. "Now everyone line up so we can go out to the Pitch, and there had better not be any more twisted ankles! If there are, you will be hopping back into the castle and straight into the medical wing where I am certain that Madame Potter will inform you that students with weak ankles should refrain from trying out for strenuous sports such as Quidditch and football. Now, straighten up that line…wait. What are you doing in here?" he snapped, the students glancing around curiously to see a boy ghost hovering near the end of the line.

"I just wanted to see what Defense was like, that's all," Noah said, glancing at Leu and back at Bellamy. "Can I stay? I'll be quiet."

"None of us are staying, we are marching, and I doubt you'd get anything out of the exercise," Bellamy said briskly.

"I'll just watch then," Noah decided.

"If you're going to be in the ranks, you will participate Mr…"

"Noah Dolan, sir," Noah offered.

"Chin up, Dolan! Face the front! The rest of you do the same, and stop staring like you've never seen a ghost before! If he gets out of line, I will give you a preview of exorcism later!" Bellamy added. "Forward!"

Leu glanced nervously at Bellamy but then did what he was told, even knowing they were surely into some laps and other embarrassing exercises afterwards. Surely the Headmaster wouldn't really allow him to do something like that to Noah, he reasoned as they were ordered to warm up. Then again, the Headmaster didn't seem to have any trouble with these insane exercise sessions either. Cautiously, Leu fell into an even pace with the wispy figure beside him going through the motions of running as if he were no more dead than Leu was. In fact, he was so preoccupied by the ghost's presence that he hadn't even realized that he had done a far greater distance around the pitch than he had the day before.


	10. Ghosts

Chapter Ten

Ghosts

Several of the Azkaban guards stood at the corner of the yard, some with folded arms and some with raised eyebrows as Ludo cautiously warmed up. He took a brisk walk around the yard, and then pushed himself into some calisthenics. Despite his size and how out of shape he was, the movements themselves reminded them that he knew perfectly well what he was doing. Intentionally keeping his back to the guards, he kept his focus on the exercises themselves, testing his limits while doing each move to the best of his ability. Just before the appointed time, another guard came up to the yard gate.

"Fine! We were tired of watching the old bowling ball rolling himself around the yard anyway," Hinge said irritably. "All right, Bagman!" He called out. "Time to stop hogging the yard and let the inmates who actually earned their time get some exercise."

"I doubt it's been twenty minutes already," Ludo protested.

"Well, don't blame me. Blame that sniveling lawyer and his 'equal rights to healthcare' argument, although I don't see how come teeth are included," Hinge said in annoyance. "The dentist is here to see you."

"Ah, yes. I need a filling," Ludo said, walking over to the gate and held up his hands for magical bindings.

"What next? A personal masseuse and hair dresser?" Hinge said in disgust, nodding to the other guards to open the gate.

Ludo couldn't help but toy with the idea in his mind as they walked through the tight corridors; it would be quite amusing to see Hinge's expression if he were able to pull off such outlandish requests, but right now there were much more important matters to attend to. He was shown into a small room, the very same one where he had had his physical with a doctor a few days before. Standing there was a man with thinning light blonde hair who met his gaze with a solemn expression.

"Doctor Caster, I presume," Ludo said.

"Come sit down, Mr. Bagman. I am here to give you your filling," the dentist said, then jostled one of the guards as he tried to step around to the other side of the chair. "Might I have a bit of room, please?"

"We're not supposed to leave this prisoner without supervision, doctor," the guard explained evenly.

"And I can't work with someone breathing down my neck. Strap him in if you like, and I can give him a sedative if that isn't enough, but I will work a lot faster if I can get back and forth around the chair and to my tools without bumping into people. Why don't you wait just outside the door?" Caster asked.

"We'll have to clear it with Hinge. He's the head guard in this quarter…"

"Fine, help me strap him in then go do that," Caster said.

The guard sighed and secured Ludo to the chair, double checking the binds on his wrists and ankles carefully while Caster checked his equipment. Caster glanced in Ludo's mouth thoughtfully but immediately pulled his instruments back out when the guard left the room.

"I assume you have it," Ludo murmured.

"Yes, sir, although I had my doubts it would actually get through at first. I have it stored with my other filling materials," Caster explained.

"Excellent," Bagman said, watching as Caster got a small gold cube out of his kit, sizing it up before looking into Bagman's mouth again. Carefully he drilled a hole out of one of Ludo's back teeth that hadn't been there before and then carefully inserted the gold into the cavity, infusing it with a bit of gold filler and a touch of magic. Experimentally, Ludo felt around the strange filling with his tongue before nodding to Caster. "Good job."

"Always happy to serve, sir," Caster said with a smile before checking his other teeth.

"What the devil is going on?" Hinge said, standing in the doorway. Caster glanced up quizzically.

"I gave him a filling and I'm cleaning his teeth, of course. What did you expect a dentist to do?" Caster asked.

"The guards said you were complaining they were in the way. This is a prison, not your corner office, and they are under orders not to leave this prisoner alone with anyone," Hinge said hotly.

"Pardon me, Mr. Hinge, I didn't mean to step on your authority. I was simply trying to do my job," Caster explained.

"As I will continue to do mine," Hinge snapped, eying them both warily and not letting either of them out of his sight until it was time to escort Bagman back to his room.

Strangely enough, Hinge didn't feel any more secure now that Bagman was in his room than he felt a few moments before, but he wasn't quite certain as to why. Hurrying over to the gate, he looked over the search records to make sure no dental tools had been 'accidentally' left behind. But when it became obvious that there were no discrepancies other than the amount of filling material he had taken in, Hinge sighed in resignation and discounted his suspicions. Perhaps he had just imagined it, he thought to himself, checking the time to see how much of a shift he had left before returning to his post.

* * *

It was only moments after lights out that night that Ludo relaxed into a meditative state, eager to test out his newly acquired toy. Focusing on it for a moment, he then let himself relax until his body went limp and he found himself floating in a silhouetted form above his body. Wasting no time, he pushed his way through the ceiling to keep from being seen by the patrolling guards, higher and higher until he was floating above the castle. There he floated, disoriented, getting reacquainted with the sensations, for it had been years since he had used the proxy device. But finally he found himself able to push forward, focusing in on his destination; home. In no time, he seemed to be speeding off for it until everything was a blur. Finally, everything slowed back down as he found himself standing in the front room of his house, fairly well kept up despite his absence.

In fact, it was not long before he noticed two boxes sitting on the coffee table waiting for him. One was a box of black hooded robes, and the other a box of wands all made of the same wood, same height, and same shape. Immediately he donned one of the robes and pulled the hood over his ghostly face, taking more time to pick out a wand. Using it to call up a pair of gloves to disguise his ghostly hands, he then glanced at the clock on the wall and drifted back out of the door.

The night was cold, but the figure was not aware of it… neither was the lone dark figure that stood upon a small graveyard at the top of a hill. The names from the stones had all but washed away, and the church that once stood there was nothing more than jumbled rocks and a foundation. Farms surrounded the hill; nearly all of them unlit except for a security light here and there, and in the distance were the same set of railroad tracks that had carried students northwards to Hogwarts just days before. In fact, the hill was several miles out of Foncé's territory, and he was quite certain that was one of the reasons it had been picked. It was neutral and remote… but open enough that one might meet without worrying about anything creeping up on them unknowingly. Foncé stood in the darkness impatiently, his red eyes flashing any time he stopped to glance at his watch.

"I see that you are here," said someone behind him. Foncé whirled around and pulled out his wand, growling that anyone could have taken him by surprise. He gazed warily at the cloaked figure there, his head down and face shadowed.

"What are you? You are no clansman, but I smell no blood," Foncé said.

"I am the same man you were expecting," Ludo said calmly. "At least in spirit. Is it the body that matters, or the mind?"

"You are speaking of mortal concepts, Bagman, in death it is all one and the same so it matters not," Foncé said evenly. "But I happen to be late for dinner, and since you in no way can provide it, I suggest that you pitch whatever offer it was you were going to make to me so we can go about our business."

"Are you sure it is mortal blood you truly thirst for, Marquis? Or is it something else?" Ludo challenged him. "The satisfaction gained by a meal is quite fleeting, and I doubt highly if that were your only motivation would you have come here tonight, let alone would you have ever moved to Scotland when you had very posh holdings in France. It was a very bold move on your part, to construct a new wine bottling plant here so close to a town full of wizards who wouldn't think twice of trying to strike you down if they could. It couldn't have been simply the blood supply; you had plenty in France and easier pickings there. The only thing that comes to mind that could explain it was that you might have been trying to make an impression among your own kind…an impression, if I am not mistaken, that has fallen rather flat in the eyes of your clan, has it not?"

"You are mortal, Bagman. You speak of things you know nothing about," Foncé said, baring his fangs menacingly. "Get to the point and be done with it!"

"Very well," Ludo said. "I am prepared to offer you that which you crave more than blood; power over your clan. If you agree to join me in some mutual endeavors, I will insure that Rafe is ousted, if not destroyed outright, and you can gain control of your clan."

"You wish me to commit treason against my own clan?" Foncé snarled.

"Not at all, Marquis. I can do that for you," Ludo said in an oddly cheerful voice. "You won't even have to lift a finger, if you leave it up to me." Foncé squinted at him.

"I don't believe you. You're trying to trick me into something, and I am not playing your mortal games…"

"Mortality isn't a game, although some make it out to be," Ludo said calmly in return. "Perhaps, however, you would agree to let me show you my sincerity?"

"How?" Foncé asked, squinting.

"By getting one of the thorns in your side out of the way," Ludo explained so seriously that Foncé was intrigued in spite of himself.

* * *

"So? Anything interesting?" Maurice asked, salting his soft-boiled egg. Somehow his menu always seemed to be a bit different from what everyone else was having. It had become so commonplace that few ever commented about it, although many wondered if he might have brought a personal House Elf with him to school. They had just sat down to breakfast, and it was Max's turn to read the paper so that Maurice could have his hands free to eat.

"Nothing exciting on the front page at least. They're talking about plans for an autumn faire in Diagon Alley to boost business," Max said.

"Rather good idea, they should do that in Hogsmeade too," Cain said. "I wouldn't mind a bargain or two to stretch the galleons since we finally get to go this year."

"And what's Toby's shop going to do? Take ten percent off on whatever it was you were going to pay me in the first place?" Gamban chuckled.

"He's abroad right now anyhow, even Ambrose has no idea when he'll be back," Maurice said. "Best guess is he'll have it open before Christmas, though."

"Sad that even his son doesn't know when he'll be back," Gamban said. "Not to mention no one seems to know where he goes when he leaves."

"That's obvious, he's probably looking for exotic items for his shop. You don't think all that stuff appears out of nowhere, do you?" Max snorted.

"Starling, you're supposed to be reading," Maurice pointed out. "Find something in politics or arrests."

"Ah… here's one," Max said after scanning the paper for a moment. "Hansen Dubois, a famous Belgian Auror, is said to have succeeded in taking out one of the most dangerous members of the Donnacht clan of vampires last night thanks to a tip from the Ministry of Magic. The tip led he and a team of other Aurors to the location of Kenolak Rannof, who has since been tied to numerous murders in Belgium, the Netherlands, and western Germany. Dubois has stated that it may take some time to pin down all of the vampire's victims, especially since the vampire in question was destroyed after resisting arrest."

"Sounds like they have a mess to clean up," Cain said.

"I'm glad they killed it. I hate vampires," Gamban said.

"Rather odd, though, isn't it?" Maurice said, the others looking up at him quizzically. "I mean that business about getting a tip from the Ministry. It doesn't make sense that one of our own wouldn't have been there during the arrest, and yet the paper would have mentioned it had there been one of our Aurors there."

"Why would they have been there? It's out of their jurisdiction, isn't it?" Max asked.

"Out of Law Enforcement's jurisdiction, yes. But Aurors don't work that way… they couldn't do their jobs at all if there weren't some concessions made, you know, or all any dark wizard would have to do is Apparate out of the country to keep from getting caught," Maurice explained. "There are certain agreements in place throughout the continent that allows them to follow up on cases they've been working on, and I know Potter has been after Donnacht, The Clan of the Sunset Dawn, for years. It's been a personal project of the department after that business with them kidnapping my niece, so it makes no sense to me that they would have left this to someone else without having someone there. They couldn't have known about it…and that means, my father couldn't have known about it either, because he would have told them about any leads. So where did this tip come from?" Max and Cain shrugged unknowingly.

"The Ministry of Mysteries, perhaps," Gamban murmured.

"I doubt it. The current Minister of Mysteries has been working with the Auror department a lot lately," Maurice said. Gamban gazed at him fixedly.

"How would you know?" Gamban asked.

"There isn't much about the inner workings of the Ministry that Maurice doesn't know," Cain chuckled. "Why do you think we elected him president of the Meglomaniacs club?"

"I thought it was just because he was a Craw," Gamban admitted.

"That too," Max agreed, turning back to the paper.

"Oh…Box," Maurice said when he noticed a pair of first years walk over to the end of the table to sit down. "Do you have any classes with Ravenclaw today?"

"Potions, not until afternoon though. Why?" Box asked.

"Well, could you please let my nephew know that if he needs help studying and still doesn't want to go to the library to come see me at dinner and I'll make other arrangements. I know he's not going to have much time to study this weekend under the circumstances," Maurice said with a sigh.

"Nephew? What nephew?" Keir asked in surprise. Maurice gazed at him fixedly.

"Surely you knew. We thought that was why you bothered to become acquainted with him," Maurice said, but Keir still looked baffled. "Leu Murphy is my nephew. Would you mind?"

"Sure, I'll tell him," Keir said distractedly, and Maurice nodded to him. "But how exactly is he your nephew?"

"My sister adopted him, of course," Maurice said. "Honestly, do you never read the paper at all?"

"Apparently you don't either," Matt Meyers pointed out, coming to his friend's defense.

"That's because typically I know more than the paper does," Maurice answered smoothly. Gamban, Max and Cain exchanged knowing grins and then turned their attention to finishing breakfast.

* * *

Out near the greenhouses, Leu and his classmates were already trying to get settled in the small classroom set aside in one of the central structures. There was a persistent buzzing sound coming from behind him, so much so that every now and then Leu had to resist the urge to swat at the honeybees that seemed to be checking out these new intruders.

"Welcome to the wonderful world of plants!" said a cheerful voice from the doorway. Leu looked up to see Rose standing there in a vivid green robe, her golden hair in a complex braid and pinned up on her head. "I am Madame Willowby. I am going to be your instructor in Herbology this year, and I hope that you are looking forward to it as much as I am. Being that this is your first year… and mine as well, I can't wait to get to know all of you better, although I do recognize a few of you from Hogsmeade," she said, smiling at Tanya Matchett and at Leu on the Ravenclaw side and then at several of the Gryffindors. "Our main emphasis this year will be on identification of basic magical plants and herbs, most of which you will also be using in your Potions class, but we will also be covering basic plant anatomy, and of course you have plenty of hands-on fun learning to nurture plants of your own. Since we have a lot to do, let's get started! Unless there are any questions before we begin?" she added quizzically when she saw Leu's hand up. "Yes, Llewellyn?"

"Would you mind if Noah joined us?" Leu asked solemnly. Rose looked up in surprise as Noah materialized in one of the empty seats, gazing at her with a solemn and yet hopeful expression.

"Oh! Well, yes, I suppose he can join us, although we do use sprinklers and rain barrels around the greenhouses, Noah, and there is a great deal of watering to do…"

"It's all right. Leu can handle that for me. He likes the water," Noah explained.

"Yes… yes, I know," Rose said, looking amused in spite of herself as she looked between the two. "Goodness you two look a lot alike! Almost as if you were related," she said. Leu looked at Noah with a startled expression. Noah simply shrugged unknowingly, but also didn't seem surprised by the idea at all. "Well! Enough delays, let's get started! Everyone turn to the first chapter on perennials and we'll discuss some of the plants that you will be growing this year."

The rest of the class was spent looking at detailed pictures of leaves, flowers and seeds of balmweed and learning about their general uses, with occasional hints by their teacher that they would probably be planting their own after they turned in their homework the next day. Leu quickly decided that she was a fairly good teacher; at the very least she was very enthusiastic about the subject and knew how to handle a room full of fidgeting students. The rest of the class seemed to like her as well, especially after she let the class go five minutes early so they had extra time to get from the greenhouses to their next classes.

"So what's next?" Noah's voice asked, from beside him even though Leu couldn't see him. Leu took his schedule out of his pocket.

"Next is Potions with my mother, then after that we have History with Professor Scribe again. Same schedule tomorrow, except that we have Astrology tomorrow night," Leu said.

"That'll be fun. And I like Professor Scribe, she's very nice to us ghosts. She heads the Adopt-a-ghost program in school, you know."

"What's that?" Leu asked.

"It's where students sign up to spend time with their adopted ghost every week to keep them active and happy and all that," Noah explained.

"Really? Maybe I should adopt you, then," Leu suggested.

"Well, I'm not opposed to the idea, but I really ought to ask my girlfriend first. I don't want her to be hurt and she would likely be if I didn't consult her beforehand," Noah decided.

"You have a girlfriend?" Leu asked in surprise.

"Yes, Myrtle, she lives in the girl's bathroom down that hallway. She's actually very nice, but a bit sensitive at times. She also moves a little too fast for me," Noah confided to him in a low voice as if concerned that they'd be overheard. "She wants me to kiss her, but I'm certainly not ready for that kind of commitment yet. Honestly, we've only been dating for thirty years or so, what sort of ghost does she take me for?" he asked.

Leu couldn't think of anything to reply to that and simply kept on walking until he heard his name called as he approached the stairs and glanced down them to see Matt and Keir waiting at the bottom.

"There you are, Murphy! I've been waiting to ask you something," Keir said, stepping back as Leu came down the stairs.

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you tell us who you really were?" Keir scolded him, but Leu stared at him in confusion.

"I did tell you who I really am," Leu said.

"You never mentioned you were adopted by the Snapes, did you?" Keir challenged him.

"Oh, that," Leu said uncomfortably. "I thought everyone had guessed, but even so, I'm really not supposed to talk about it."

"I understand. You don't want to take advantage of your old man's position, do you?"

"Well, sort of…"

"That's all right. I won't bring it up again, but I'm supposed to tell you that your Uncle Maurice wants you to let him know if you need someone to help you study, and that he'd help you study outside of the library if you want. Why don't you want to go to the library?" Keir asked.

"It's all right. I found someone to study with," Leu said.

"Well, if you ever need any more help, let me know. I'll even run to the library and grab whatever books you need if you want," Keir said.

"How much did you have to pay him to get him to do that?" said someone from behind them.

They all looked up in surprise to see Jimmy and Colby on the stairs with a couple of other Ravenclaws walking with him.

"Do you have a problem, Minster? I was just trying to be friendly," Keir said.

"Sure you were," Jimmy said, walking down the stairs past them. "Hasn't he gotten you in enough trouble, Murphy? Come on, let's get you to class before you somehow manage to earn another point loss and detention."

"I can walk myself in, thanks," Leu said evenly, shrugging off the hand in his arm and pulling away, stepping inside the door.

He waited until all the others were seated before he chose a table at the far side of the room that didn't have anyone else sitting by it. It wasn't more than a moment after he sat down that Professor Craw glided into the room, beaming at them warmly as she made her way in front of her desk.

"Good afternoon, everyone! Glad to see you all at last! How has your week been so far?" she asked, and became amused by the mixed answers. "Well, don't worry. Things will sort out in a few weeks and you'll be into a comfortable routine before you know it. I hear you have Herbology before my class? Well, that's good, because that will make your lives easier as the year progresses and we start digging into salves and balms. You may sit wherever you like in my class, but be aware that whomever you sit with will end up being your lab partner… hm, we have an odd number in class, don't we?" Jennifer said, looking over at Leu thoughtfully despite the fact that it was obvious from his expression that he really didn't want to sit with anyone else.

"Can I be his lab partner?" said a voice beside him, and Jennifer looked over to see that Noah was now sitting in the other seat.

"Oh! Um…well, Noah, we do deal with a lot of liquids in this class…"

"I'll help him with it," Leu readily agreed.

"And there must be consistency from day to day. I can't have Leu with a partner today and then you forgetting about it until a month or so down the line as ghosts are want to do," Jennifer said sternly. Noah gazed steadily back at her. "If you want to sit in my classroom, I don't care, but it will be every day until the end of the year or not at all."

"I understand, Professor," Noah said.

"Very well then! I suppose I'll have to mention it to the Headmaster, but I doubt he'll have any objections. Everyone get out your kits! Oh, um… Noah, you can just look out of Leu's kit for now," Jennifer said, and then proceeded to teach.

By the time Jennifer had made it back with Quintin to their rooms, Severus had already gotten wind of what Noah had been doing so was not surprised when she brought it up.

"Apparently the rest of the staff made the same decision you did, Jennifer, including Bellamy who decided that it fell within the 'not interfering with the ghosts unless it caused a disruption' rule," Severus explained. "It does seem quite out of character, though, I'll admit. I'll ask Zack to drop by tomorrow."

"I hope it's all right. They've seemed to have gotten quite attached to one another," Jennifer admitted.

"Llewellyn is simply looking for someone he can relate to in foreign surroundings, Jennifer. I am not in the least bit surprised that he is having trouble doing that with other students his age. Are you?" Severus asked.

"Well, no, not really," Jennifer admitted. "But I was hoping he would find at least one student he could relate to."

"Yes, well, apparently that one student is a ghost, as ironic as that may seem considering what happened at the Sorting Ceremony… a ghost, and a confused frog who thinks that she is an attack dog," Severus added, glancing with a frown at the latest student complaint about Copper lying on his desk. "However, I believe the matter will start to sort itself out if he agrees to join the Owls. He knows the majority of them and the familiarity should help keep him from becoming too isolated."

"And what about Boulderdash, Severus?" Jennifer pointed out.

"With any luck, that little problem will be solved during his detention this weekend," Severus said, straightening up his desk so they could settle in for the evening.


	11. Goblins

Chapter Eleven

Goblins

One sour look from Boulderdash was all it took to convince Noah to spend his Saturday with Myrtle. Facing the Librarian alone, Leu seemed to shrink under his scrutinizing gaze.

"You have your work cut out for you today, Mr. Murphy," Boulderdash said, still eyeing him as if sizing him up. "I have a great deal of dusting for you to do, and with the utmost care, if you don't mind," he added with a grunt as if doubtful that the boy was capable of doing anything with care. "The books on the library floor get detailed constantly, but the storeroom always falls by the wayside when it comes to such things. These shelves contain books with minor repairs or first editions that have been rotated out for newer copies that don't need as much care. It is vital that you do not do any more damage to them than there already is, and if you see any major damage…dry rot, book worms and so forth, report it to me immediately."

"Yes, sir," Leu said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Hm," said Boulderdash, opening the storeroom door in his office.

The first thing Leu noticed was a very large old study table taking up most the floor in the front part of the room. The second thing he noticed was piles and piles of book stacked on top of each other beside recently emptied bookcases.

"Dust the bookcases first, then the books, putting them in logical order, please. You do know how to do that?" Boulderdash asked skeptically.

"With the more valuable tomes on the top and work my way down?" Leu asked carefully. Boulderdash sneered at that.

"This isn't a goblin school, Mr. Murphy. Subject, Title, Author is how we do it at Hogwarts. It makes it easier when labeling the scroll cases and we carried the system throughout," Boulderdash said. "Other than reporting possible damage, I want you to finish the job in complete silence… not only to get you to learn how to discipline yourself, but because members the Order of the Owls are likely to arrive for their weekend studies at any moment, and I do not want them distracted by your presence. If you can't maintain your silence, rest assured that I'll find more work for you to do… enough to make certain you don't make it to Quidditch tryouts next week. Is that quite clear?" Leu began to answer but then thought better of it and nodded somberly instead. "Good," Boulderdash said, thrusting a dust cloth at him. Leu took it and resignedly went to dust the shelves, careful not to turn his back completely towards the goblin. If Boulderdash noticed it, he made no sign. The goblin climbed up on the stool beside an old worn desk and began sorting a stack of canvas binding he could use to replace old worn book covers.

Leu had no more than finished the bookcases and had picked up the first tome when the door leading out to the library opened. Maurice strode into the room with Garvan entering on his heels.

"What? Is there no one here yet?" Maurice asked with exasperation when he saw the empty table.

"Many of them had to attend a meeting in the journalism room, I believe," Boulderdash explained calmly.

"I'm sure my niece has no more part in that than she has in choir. Never mind, she's out muddying her shoes again more than likely… oh, is this where you have been hiding?" Maurice said with a frown when he happened to see Leu peeking around the corner. "I sent Starling to the lake to look for you."

"Mr. Murphy is in detention, Mr. Craw. Do us all a favor and pretend he isn't here," Boulderdash advised.

"Well, I really have more important things on my mind right now than to worry about it," Maurice reasoned, getting out a rolled up piece of parchment out of a small compartment with his name on it and writing on the bottom of it. "How's that for a goal?"

"You put something down about that Ministry spy, didn't you?" Garvan asked flatly.

"Whoever stole that artifact from the vault is the same person that tipped off the Belgium authorities where the vampire was, Garvan," Maurice explained.

"That's just a hunch. There's no way you can actually know that, especially considering how many people work at the Ministry," Garvan sighed at him, pausing only momentarily when Delia, Mike, and Winnie came in. "Perhaps it was just someone who had some sort of personal vendetta against that particular vampire and didn't want Aurelius to find out he had some sort of ulterior motives for wanting him caught or something so didn't go to the Aurors about it."

"Possibly, but I think there is more to it than that and that it is wrong to pass off yet another incident at the Ministry that no one knows who is behind it," Maurice said. "That said, I think people who actually work at the Ministry are a little too close to the problem. What we need is someone who can give us a new perspective to what might be going on over there," he said, then snapped his fingers. "I need to go to Hogsmeade to talk to a few people about this."

"Can you bring me back some pickled war babies on a stick?" Winnie asked hopefully.

"I'm not going there for a candy run! If I needed that, I'd be sending him instead," Maurice said, jerking his thumb at Garvan.

"Not me. It's Cain's turn," Garvan protested. Just then, the door opened back up and Leu leaned over a little to see Ambrose walk in with Pimra, Dirk and Veronica.

"Hiya all! Sorry, we had a newspaper meeting. Lena and Connie went to go fetch Lucky and Gary off the football pitch, so we should be starting our own meeting soon," Ambrose said.

"I'm going to be a little late. I need to go take care of something," Maurice said.

"What? Now?" Ambrose frowned at him. "But we still need to vote on our group Owl Goal for the year, not to mention our policies on ranking officers…"

"I'm sure whatever you have in mind will be fair," Maurice said unconcernedly. "As for the Owl Goal, how about doing some work on that tunnel over to Honeydukes? It could really use some attention in spots. Anyway, I'll be back."

"Within the hour, Mr. Craw," Boulderdash said calmly, checking his watch for the time. Maurice simply nodded once and slipped out the door. Leu pondered it for a moment before returning to his dusting.

"For some reason, I don't think the Headmaster would approve of any idea that involved fixing up tunnels that students aren't supposed to be using in the first place," Ambrose said as he sat down.

"I vote that whatever we decide on is not something we have to run fundraisers for again this year. I'd like to finish my last year and position as Head Boy with an ounce or two of dignity," Dirk said.

"Is that why you're still stringing Bindy Carr along?" Winnie challenged him.

"I am not stringing anyone along," Dirk said evenly.

"Maybe we can come up with something," Ambrose interrupted quickly, not wanting another argument to break out. "After all, we did the pen pal system the first year and that didn't cost much. We could do some other project like that which doesn't take up a lot of funds and mainly just needs thought up, approved, and organized."

"Personally, I think our only goal this year should be to figure out how this order is going to survive when Ambrose and Lucky leave," Ronnie put in.

"Obviously, we simply wait until the end of the year and vote someone in who has been here a while and knows the ropes," Dirk shrugged.

"No, neither Lucky or I really like that idea," Ambrose said, Dirk raising an eyebrow at him. "If we did that, we'd end up with upper classman leading the order all the time, which means it'll change hands every two or three years."

"So?" Dirk says.

"That might work for being a prefect, but I'm not sure it's right for the order," Ambrose said. "I think it'd be better to pick from the younger members, not only so that they have more time to make their mark but because, as Lucky puts it, 'their best ideas haven't all been drilled out of them yet.'"

"It also means a greater chance of them lousing it up completely," Dirk pointed out. "An older student would at least follow the same basic ideas you have, Ambrose."

"I don't want any carbon copies taking over the order. I want fresh voices who understand what the order is about, believe in it, and want to lead it in their own way. Besides, Boulderdash isn't going anywhere, and he isn't likely to forget what this order is about or what we did in these first six years, is he?" Ambrose said.

"Not even remotely," Boulderdash said with a snarl.

"I still think you'd be better off picking someone a little older, but we can discuss that when everyone gets here," Dirk said, checking his own box and taking out a letter and settling in. Not long after, there was a flurry at the door as Natalie and Hope rushed in the door.

"Are we late?" Natalie asked.

"No, we're still waiting on Lena, Lucky and the rest of you Gryffindors," Delia said. "Oh, and Jessica," she amended when the girl came in with a stack of books. "A lot of studying, Jessica?"

"I've decided that I'm going to try to study ahead this year," Jessica declared. "So I don't get behind and have my marks flop like they did at the end of last year. I've made it one of my goals."

"Flop? Except for Charms and Items, I didn't come close to your scores, even at the end," Delia said with annoyance.

"Well, maybe, but that's no excuse for me to let myself go considering how good I was doing at the first of the year," Jessica said, and then paused. "Perhaps you've all been a bad influence on me."

"We've just been trying to get you out of the library once in a while," Mike said. "You can study too hard, you know. Life isn't about books. Books are about life."

"A very interesting statement, Mr. Coventry," Boulderdash said, carefully setting the book he had been working on to the side to finish drying. "Although I rather think they're more about opinions of life than life itself, but otherwise a fair statement. Each one has its importance… even the ones we don't particularly like or agree with. But that doesn't mean we should get so absorbed with them that we can't form our own opinions about them, Miss Bishop."

"That is what Professor Scribe is always saying," Jessica said ruefully, setting down and sorting through her books. "But honestly, it's not like my opinion matters all that much."

"Only because you think it doesn't," Delia said, shaking her head at her. She then looked towards the door when she heard it rattle. It was opened by Connie, who kept it open for Gary, Lucky and Lena. "Finally you're here! You've been holding us up, you know."

"We're all here, then?" Lena asked, but then noticed the empty seat beside her. "Wait, where's Maurice at?"

"He had to go to Hogsmeade because of a political matter, but I believe he'll be back shortly," Boulderdash said unconcernedly.

"Is he going to be in trouble?" Jessica asked worriedly.

"Not unless someone tells on him, I suppose," Boulderdash said, brushing some glue on another binding.

"I bet it has to do with that spy in the Ministry bit," Lucky said, glancing at Garvan who didn't seem inclined to comment. "He's been worried about someone trying to stir things up over there."

"He really takes these sorts of things way too seriously," Winnie said, shaking her head.

"Perhaps, or others are not taking it serious enough to suit him," Dirk said. "After all, he is a Craw. It would be against his nature to let something like that go if he felt it might put any members of his family in danger, and he has several working in the Ministry. Not to mention he's always has his nose in the inner workings over there. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew more about what goes on in that place than anyone. Personally, I don't have a problem with him looking into it if it eases his mind on the subject… as long as he doesn't get caught, that is."

"And if he does get caught?" Lena challenged him.

"Then I rake him across the coals for ruining the comfortable point lead we earned this first week," Dirk said, glancing at his letter again.

"Is that a note from who I think it is?" Delia asked when she noticed it. Mike nudged her with a frown.

"It's from my new pen pal, actually, apparently from South Africa. It seems the Headmaster has found occasion to add some new schools to the list," Dirk said.

"But what about Nancy?" Hope asked.

"I requested a new one. It's not really much of a pen pal if they're from the nearest town," Dirk said evenly. "Besides, I find this one to be quite interesting. They own a business making and selling charmed items for local magical rituals that go far beyond ours. Quite traditional, really, although some of it seems a bit antiquated."

"Different societies have different ways of preserving the past; some through written word like we do, while others prefer simply passing it down through a more hands on approach," Boulderdash mused.

"I'd rather learn a bunch of rituals than study for a history test," Lucky decided.

"The test shouldn't be all that bad, Lucky, it's just going to be a review," Ambrose protested.

"Yeah, I know, but I still wish I didn't have to take it. I'm only in it still because Professor Weasley says I need better composition skills if I want to go to college," Lucky explained.

"Why you're even bothering to go, I have no idea," Dirk said. "You could have any job you liked in our society, being a Snape."

"Yeah, well, maybe I don't like taking the easy way out," Lucky said defensively.

"Does that mean you're going to say no if Dale ever asks you to marry him?" Delia inquired mischievously.

"What? I told you I'm going to college. I'm not ready for that sort of commitment yet," Lucky scowled.

"You'd better hope Dale feels the same way, then. I bet there are tons of girls where he's going to school at now trying to get his attention," Delia said.

Connie furrowed her brows at the girl, trying to warn her to back off without Lucky seeing it.

"He doesn't have time for that kind of thing! He's got a full schedule and he just got onto the rowing squad," Lucky said with irritation, getting into her own box before sitting down.

"Rowing? Is that actually a sport?" Dirk said dubiously. "Whatever happened to football?"

"I don't know, he hasn't really mentioned it. He's just written how much he wants to do this," Lucky shrugged. "I think it probably has to do with the fact that he can be just one of the guys this way."

"I bet the media still tries to follow him about," Delia ventured.

"Yeah, but that'd just help rowing get more international attention, so it's a plus in this case," Lucky explained.

"That would explain why they let a freshman in," Gary said. "It's not that easy a team to get onto, you know. You have to be in great shape and have excellent rhythm."

"Sounds perfect for him, if you ask me," Pimra said. "Even if his fame did have something to do with him getting in, I rather think he'd be good at it."

"The point is it takes a lot of his time, so he's not looking around," Lucky said, making a note on her goals.

"Doesn't take all that long to look around, does it?" Gary said.

"He wouldn't do that to her," Connie said firmly. "How about we stop gossiping and try to figure out what our group goal is this year?"

"Preferably something we can do without spending the entire year fundraising," Dirk quickly put in.

"Okay. Like what?" Ambrose asked him.

"Maybe we can provide a service or something… tutoring students outside of the Owls or something that promotes house relations and all of that," Dirk said.

"I don't know, I'd rather find something the school actually needs rather than make stuff up," Lucky said. "The pens out near the barn area a mess…"

"Oh, no, anything but that," Dirk groaned. "It's our last year here, Lucky, and I'd rather we do something less… menial." All the students around the table stared at him. Even Boulderdash raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. "Look, I know we normally contribute something to the school as a whole as our Owl Goal, but is there really anything that says it has to be a donation of some sort?"

"Well, I admit you do have a point, Dirk, but do you have a specific goal in mind?" Pimra asked.

"No, but there has to be something," Dale protested.

"Fine, you think up something that'll work, and if we vote it down, we can always go back to fixing the pens," Lucky decided.

"Perhaps we all need some time to think about it," Ambrose agreed. "I wouldn't mind doing the pens since they do need done, but I also don't object to coming up with something brilliant this year, either."

"I got one. How about we lobby for a ban on military-trained professors?" Gary suggested, and several jokingly but enthusiastically agreed with him. "I've woken up sore every morning since that first Defense class."

"At least you don't have to take it, we don't have a choice," Hope pointed out.

"I don't have a choice either if I want to become an Enforcer, do I?" Gary said. "And I don't see how insulting us, ordering us about and forcing us to exercise to the point of exhaustion has anything to do with Defense anyhow."

"You could always try spraining an ankle," Hope said mischievously. "Isn't that right, Leu?" she added for good measure. Leu grimaced in embarrassment and hid behind his stack of books.

"That is how he got himself into this mess in the first place, Miss Willowby, and I must remind you not to talk to him while he's in detention," Boulderdash said sternly.

"Now that you mention it, maybe now would be good time to review our possible replacement candidates for Ravenclaw," Pimra said.

"Not with one of them in the room," Gary murmured under his breath.

"Well, considering the whole reason he isn't a member yet is the fact we couldn't get him _in_ the room, I rather think it's worth bringing up again," Pimra said. "We already voted him in."

"So what do you think, Leu? Do you want to be in the order?" Lucky asked, leaning back a bit to look at him. Leu glanced at Boulderdash nervously, but the goblin was too intent on his work to care that she was addressing him again.

"No thank you. I'd rather not," Leu admitted.

"It's not just because of Boulderdash, is it? He's nuthin' but a big softie!" Lucky protested. Boulderdash piercing eyes seemed to study her as if debating whether or not that was a challenge while most of the students were grinning at them. "I mean seriously, how many goblins do you know that pick books over money?"

"He is the son of Coldsprinter and has his own holdings, and on top of that his twin brother works at the bank. Goblin twins are telepathic," Leu explained.

"Yeah, I knew that," Lucky said, glancing at Boulderdash who simply seemed thoughtful.

"I'm not sure you realize exactly how telepathic," Leu said evenly, glancing at the silent goblin before returning to his work. "They might as well be two places at once, you know."

"An expert on goblin twins, are we?" Boulderdash grunted, eying the boy steadily.

"I went to school with a pair of goblin twins," Leu said somberly, putting a book on the shelf. "They strove to make my life miserable."

"They probably strove to make your life a living hell, and succeeded," Boulderdash acknowledged with a sneer, many of the others gazing at him questioningly. "As if being a human wizard wasn't bad enough, you were also in debt on top of it when normally no goblin would have ever been allowed to go to school there in such a financial position. I'm sure they did everything they could to remind you of it."

"And they managed it without a single fine," Leu said bitterly, trying to focus on what he was doing. "While I got plenty."

"What sort of fine?" Natalie asked with a frown.

"It's a disciplinary measure, Miss Willowby. Instead of detentions they simply fine the parents, where of course the parents then turn around and take it out of their children's earnings," Boulderdash explained. "And I am quite certain that he was no more welcome in his school than I was welcome here when I first came to Hogwarts."

"It couldn't have been all that bad, considering the Headmaster was behind you," Delia said, shaking her head.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, yes. Professor Snape, however, was quite wary of the decision to hire me," Boulderdash sneered. "But things between goblins and wizards had been heading steadily downhill at that point, so perhaps some of that wariness was warranted. And of course, it also didn't help my relationship with the bank either, which is why my brother has been passed over for promotions time and time again. We are, as Mr. Murphy pointed out, quite telepathic, and my brother encouraged me to take the position as much as I had encouraged him to work at the bank. Although I must admit there were times during the boycott and a few other close calls that made me wonder if I had done the right thing in taking this job, but I realized after helping a student come to terms with his own prejudice that I was needed here."

"Xavier, right?" Ambrose said, having heard that story before.

"Yes, Xavier Platt, who remains a very good friend of mine to this day," Boulderdash agreed. "In some ways, a lot of what happened then is why I chose to become the advisor to the Owls."

"I thought it was just to stop us from running our mouths off while we were studying in the library," Lucky challenged him immediately.

"Yes, well, that too," Boulderdash acknowledged, getting a soft chuckle as the students found themselves talking about some of their original experiences with the Fifth House and the order.

A few minutes later, the door popped open and Maurice strode in, the room soon quieting on its own after a few initial inquiries. But they were quickly placated when Maurice got out a bag and began passing candy out, the larger ones going to Natalie, Hope, Winnie, Lucky, and then Leu, who looked surprised at being offered anything at all.

"He is in detention," Boulderdash reminded Maurice sternly.

"Well I can't get something for my niece and not my nephew, that wouldn't have been right. I'm sorry if it isn't exactly what you wanted, but I didn't want to be seen too long in the shop so I grabbed up some things in a hurry before I left for the Pannage."

"What were you doing over there?" Gary frowned.

"Touching base with some of my father's friends, of course," Maurice said, taking his seat with a sigh. "I stopped by the art studio first, however. I wanted to see if Alicia could pinpoint that item stolen out of the Ministry from its description."

"Yeah? Did she find it?" Lucky asked with interest.

"No, and apparently I wasn't the only one who had tried that route," Maurice said. "Aurelius had asked her to do the same thing about a week ago, but she wasn't able to locate it. She thinks that either someone is blocking it or the item has been changed somehow in such a way that her pictures no longer represent it."

"But art is abstract, isn't it? Would it really matter?" Delia asked.

"I don't know. I suppose if someone changed it dramatically from what it was it would matter," Maurice shrugged.

"Who'd steal something and then turn around and destroy it, though?" Connie wondered.

"Happens all the time," Lucky said with a snort. "Where I come from, if someone steals your car in town, forget ever getting it back unless you want a pile of scrap metal…assuming they leave that much."

"Cars have a great many parts and things to exploit. This was a tiny magic device about the size of an earring stud," Maurice explained.

"Ever find out what it did?" Lucky asked.

"Some sort of self projection device," Maurice said. "It lets you send a ghostly image of yourself somewhere else."

"Strange. Who would want something like that?" Delia murmured.

"Princess Leia?" Lucky smirked.

"Ha, ha, ha," Gary said dryly, while some of the others merely shrugged at one another.

"I'd say a lot of people with criminal intentions would have plenty of reasons to want something like that, considering they could stage private meetings and still provide their own alibi," Maurice said.

"Yes, but how many crooks have access to that vault?" Gary asked.

"Everyone working at the Ministry is a crook in some way," Dirk said, earning an icy glare from Maurice. "Don't give me that, Craw, even your father did time in Azkaban."

"And pardoned," Maurice said defensively.

"Well, Minister Craw certainly didn't take it," Garvan intervened. "Any thoughts to who did, Maurice?"

"Not yet, but I took the opportunity to set up an independent surveillance team while I was in town to look into the matter, which will report directly to Aurelius and Father if they find out anything. I am done dabbling in family affairs for the time being," Maurice decided. "I wouldn't want to overextend Librarian Boulderdash's courtesies in any case."

"Probably a wise decision," Boulderdash agreed, baring his fangs when he smiled menacingly at the boy.

* * *

The room was dark and smoky and kept that way intentionally; that was how Sludgebat liked it. Hanging entrails did a lot to curb nosy wizards who had no business in his shop from poking in out of curiosity, while those who did have business with him tolerated it out of necessity.

It was late in the evening; late enough not to expect normal clients, and yet a customer was expected. So Sludgebat spent the time scraping bottoms of barrels to gather sludge he could toss into potions for particular wizards that he had a special disliking for. Finally he heard the door and smelled the familiar scent of coins wrapped in expensive leather and glanced up to see Nelson walking over to the counter with an expectant look on his face.

"Do you have my order ready?" Nelson asked after making certain no one else was in the shop.

"Yes, I have it right here," Sludgebat said, putting several bottles on the counter but keeping his gnarled green hand on them. "What exactly is it you plan to do with these?"

"Do you really care?" Nelson asked, squinting.

"Oh, anything I brew that might bring strife to Snape and is family is of interest to me, Nelson. If it is particularly damaging I might even give a discount," he said with a sneer.

"They're not even for my use at all, Sludgebat, simply something I've acquired for a friend with a fetish," Nelson said, putting extra coins on the counter.

"You wouldn't be willing to give up hard earned coin without expecting some sort of return on them, Nelson," Sludgebat ventured.

"I never said there wouldn't be," Nelson said, taking the bottles and stuffing them out of sight. He stepped out of the shop and was about ready to Apparate when he noticed a strange shadow coming from behind the shop near Knockturn. He squinted suspiciously, checking his wand before walking over to confirm that someone had been watching him.

The cloaked figure hadn't moved very far. Covered by both shadow and a draping hood, the figure seemed to lean against the back wall.

"So, I see you have business with Sludgebat this evening as well, Nelson," the figure said almost casually.

"Your voice is quite familiar, but I cannot place it. Who are you?" Nelson demanded.

"A phantom, in more ways than one," the figure said calmly. "But one that can make you a very rich man if you are smart enough to hear what I have to say."

"I don't do business with people when I don't even know who you are!" Nelson snapped. "Remove your hood." The figure shrugged and removed it, but it revealed little more than a silhouette of a face that seemed familiar but unidentifiable.

"I will not speak with a figure when I have no idea who it is I am speaking to," Nelson decided, guardedly attempting to step away. The figure murmured his name softly. Nelson stared at the ghost, squinting warily. "How can this be?"

"How can anything be?" Bagman asked. "Although I'm sure you would have a great many more questions to ask if you spoke with me, Lord Nelson, questions that I think would entice you into helping me with our cause."

"What cause would that be?" Nelson asked.

"Why, putting a stop to the Snape regime before it gets even more out of hand, what else?" Bagman said, the smile still fixed on his face as he covered it up with his hood again and led Nelson further into the shadowed alley.


	12. The Gathering

Chapter Twelve

The Gathering

Conner Donnovan sighed softly as he waited for the Door Lift to open. He stepped into the Ministry lobby, taking only a moment to check in with the receptionist before walking down the hallways with his hands in his pockets. He really wished he hadn't answered Morfinn's letter, let alone agreed to come visit. And although part of him wanted to touch base with Aurelius, he also wished that it wasn't under this sort of circumstances.

He walked into the Auror's department to see an older Auror sitting there with his pointed but droopy hat over his eyes and snoring up a storm. Tip-toeing so as not to wake him, Conner then crept ever so slowly to stand behind him. He glanced curiously at the paperwork at the desk and at the unwatched flag board and all the dark wizards moving about on it for a moment before he finally shrugged and slowly leaned over.

"FIRE! ROBBERY! DISASTER! EVIL WIZARD ALERT!" Conner shouted at the top of his lungs. He then jumped back just in time as the old wizard leapt to his feet, his hat tossed to the floor and his wand out as he began to search his surrounding for what was amiss. Conner grinned and kept directly behind him, turning when he turned and quickly stepping around the desk so not to be caught by the chair that had come flying out. He was still following the Auror around the office as he inspected every single nook, cranny, and filing cabinet when Aurelius walked in, shaking his head when Conner simply put a finger to his lips.

"What exactly are you doing?" Aurelius asked, the Auror suddenly coming to attention. Behind him, Conner did the same thing, although admittedly in a much more mocking manner.

"There was an intruder in the office," the Auror said.

"Really."

"Yes, sir," the Auror said. "I think I chased him off, though." Conner smirked silently from behind him, although Aurelius looked anything but amused.

"So what did he look like exactly, Very?" Aurelius asked evenly.

"Oh…uh, well, I didn't exactly get a good look at him…"

"How could you have not seen him considering the desk is directly opposite the main doorway?" Aurelius interrupted with a sigh. But by that point, Very had remembered who he was talking to.

"Now, I only closed my eyes for a minute, Auror Snape…"

"It takes less than a minute to become a victim. Order some coffee from the cafeteria, do some warm-ups or whatever it takes to keep yourself alert and remember that your being here, as tedious as the job may seem, may be the difference between life and death for someone if that board flashes," Aurelius said sternly.

"Yes sir," Very said somberly, looking quite apologetic. Suddenly he jumped when someone behind him patted his shoulder comfortingly.

"Come on, Conner, stop fooling around. You haven't changed much, have you?" Aurelius said dryly as Conner quickly stepped back chuckling all the while.

"Yes I have but… sorry, I just couldn't resist," Conner said with a grin while the old Auror eyed him warily. Aurelius simply rolled his eyes and let him back to a small cramped office next to Harry's. "Ah, nice, you inherited a cupboard," Conner teased.

"Now you know why I normally have lunch in the lab," Aurelius said, sitting down. "Usually I just use the office to hide from the world and do paperwork as an excuse for it," Aurelius admitted.

"I thought that's what the golf was for?" Conner asked.

"Yeah, but I'd have to get a day off once in a while for that," Aurelius pointed out dryly.

"You should try to get away now and then no matter how busy it is, to spend time with your wife if nothing else," Conner tsked.

"And what? Leave the office when Harry and I are the only Aurors on the team that aren't rookies or past their prime? Very out there is a good example… he saw one of our recruitment adds in the paper and decided to come out of retirement to help fill in," Aurelius sighed.

"I'm sure he means well, and at least you do have some support," Conner reasoned. "What is his last name anyway?"

"Young," Aurelius said flatly.

"Oh?" Conner smirked. "Well, I suppose he was Very Young when his mother named him…"

"I've been living with that irony for a few weeks already, thanks. What was it you wanted to see me about? Is someone questioning my sanity again?" Aurelius asked. Conner chuckled at that but then shook his head, slowly becoming more serious.

"No, it's nothing like that. I was called into the security wing of St. Mungo's yesterday for an outside opinion," Conner explained quietly. Aurelius stared at him in alarm.

"Trelawney?" Aurelius asked.

"Yeah," Conner said, and suddenly grew quiet as he become lost in a memory. But Aurelius kept gazing intently at him, reading his face with such fervency that he felt as if he passed into the memory himself.

* * *

"She has not been this bad for a while," Morfinn said as they walked down the hall. Morfinn had to stop now and again to open doors with keys off a large key ring he was carrying. "Not since just after that incident six years ago when she escaped. The potions we've had her on have kept her fairly sedated, but recently nothing seems to help."

"Potions only cover up this sort of insanity, Morfinn, they don't cure it," Conner sighed.

"That may be, but I don't think this case is curable," Morfinn said, unlocking the last door and letting them both into a small but comfortable looking room. It was one of four in the area with a small nurse station in the center. A tired nurse smiled wanly at them from where she was preparing some potion-laced drinks.

It was a comfortable looking room very similar to the other long-term patient rooms in the hospital. It had a wardrobe, plenty of soft blankets and pillows (Conner had no doubt they had been charmed to prevent strangulation) and fresh chrysanthemums in a vase on a small desk displaying their splendid fall blooms. The only distinguishing factor was that the walls had been scribbled with different divination symbols, all of them haphazard as if she had gotten only halfway through some of them before forgetting what it was she was doing.

In the center of the room, Trelawney sat in the desk chair away with her eyes closed. She was clean but unkempt, and she seemed to twitch as if in a fitful sleep, reacting to sounds with strange jerks but never opening an eye.

"Good morning, Sibyl," Conner said in a warm, cheerful voice. "How are you today? Sleep well?"

"There is no time for sleep now," Trelawney murmured nervously. "No time! Even now they are gathering. The forces of evil shall unite. They will be coming. We must prepare for the end!"

"Who will be coming, Sibyl?" Conner asked.

"The Four Horsemen. The Four Horsemen are coming, and for some it will be judgment day," Trelawney said. "They have joined to defeat their enemies, and many stand in their way…but they're doomed, all doomed! No one can defeat them!"

"No, I suppose not," Conner said with a sigh. "Everyone must face their own death one day."

"You do not understand. It is not a metaphor that I speak of. They will manifest instead in the flesh, in our own time and reality… four wizards, each with a knowledge or power that does nothing but magnify the others… the ghost with his vast knowledge and resources, the wizard with the fiery beast who lets nothing stand in his way, and his companion, the white horsed one, driven by fear, but knowing the spell that shall bind them together…but beware, beware most of Famine! He has knowledge long thought lost, knowledge that the Craws themselves tried to erase, and now it is their ancestors who will pay the price for their failure in doing so! They are coming, many will die in their path, many who should have died long ago… and the world shall be cleansed and free of Snapes! Free of them all! Then they shall be free to take the prize and conquer the world!" Sibyl said, her ominous expression turning into one of maniacal glee. "The Snapes are doomed, mark it well! The Four Horsemen know the way… they know everything. Soon they will be together, and I shall be there to see it unfold!" She laughed out loud then, a long sustaining laugh, and Conner knew from her behavior that she was no longer even aware of his presence.

But as Conner stood back and watched her a moment, the chill that had overtaken him at her words seemed to grow rather than lessen. Was it just the ranting of a madwoman? Or was it something else entirely?

* * *

Aurelius sat back in his seat with a dark look on his face.

"I don't think it was just a mad rant, Conner," Aurelius said, despite the fact that Conner had yet to try to explain what he had experienced. "Either she knows something or she saw something, and although I doubt we could take her at her word of what it was that she saw, I am quite sure that this is too specific to be one of her random imaginings."

"That is why I'm here. I don't know what it was that she might have really seen, but I don't think it's an accident that she mentioned the Snapes, Rel," Conner said.

"She's been mad at us for years," Aurelius snorted.

"Yeah, in more ways than one," Conner said. "Look, I have a full schedule this week and I have some clients that I might have to make some temporary arrangements for, but if you want, I'd be more than willing to come keep an eye on her to see if I can sort out the fiction from facts for you."

"No, I don't think you need to go that far," Aurelius sighed. "But thanks for bringing this to me, although I wonder if it's going to make Father even more paranoid when I bring this to him. He's been convinced that something is going on and someone's been trying to work against us for the last few months now, even before that incident with our House Elf."

"It doesn't sound like paranoia to me. It sounds to me like he has a point," Conner said.

"Maybe he does," Aurelius admitted, taking out a mirror.

* * *

Nelson strode into a small, but tastefully decorated office building in the center of a warehouse complex nestled into a small valley surrounded by jagged hills. He strode past all the receptionists and security guards without even a passing comment and straight towards the posh office Amadeus had set up for himself, filled with somewhat extravagant and showy collection pieces that Nelson would never in a million years have invested in, let along displayed.

In the midst of the collection, also on display, was Amadeus' personal secretary. She was a younger girl, low twenties if that and either American or Canadian from the accent. She was a pretty thing with light freckles, auburn hair, and a button nose, wearing a tight dress almost too high to be considered professional attire, despite the button collar. She paused when he came in, but then rolled her eyes when she saw who it was and went back to her book.

"Just how much does he pay you to just sit there all day, Miss Jeanette?" Nelson asked critically.

"Only as much as I deserve," Jeanette said flirtatiously.

"A matter of opinion," Nelson said with open disgust before wrapping his knuckles against the next door. A sour looking old goblin answered it, eyeing him a moment before shrugging and letting him in before slipping off to his office out of sight behind another door.

"Oh, hello, Byron," Amadeus sighed, putting down his quill long enough to flex his hand. "It's brutal, you know… nobody wants charmed quill signatures anymore, everyone wants it 'by hand' it's more legal. I keep getting cramps."

"Perhaps if you stopped to read what you are signing now and then it wouldn't happen so often," Nelson suggested crisply. "But never mind, we have more important things to discuss. I had a very intriguing conversation last night with a man who could solve all of our problems in one swoop."

"Including hand cramps?" Amadeus said dubiously.

"Why is it that you always think of nothing but your immediate pleasure or displeasure? Have you no more ambitions left?" Nelson asked testily.

"I have everything I need now," Amadeus shrugged.

"Then why are you dissatisfied with your life? Surely there are many things in life you would have different if you were given the opportunity… things that right now may seem out of reach. If you were told you could have anything in the entire cosmos that you wanted, what would it be?" Nelson asked.

"I'd have my future back," Amadeus said acidly. "And I am making plans to get it back." Nelson squinted.

"Oh? In what way?" Nelson asked.

"Snape knows a way to get around the potion that was given to me, and I plan to find out how he managed it," Amadeus explained, shifting through the paperwork before taking out a scroll filled with scribbles, taped notes, and corrections. "Care to see what I've got in store for tomorrow's gossip column?"

Nelson let out a short sigh but decided it was in his best interests to humor him. He glanced over the article, blinked, then thought about it for a moment and nodded to himself.

"An interesting article, and sure to rouse some comments among the _Oracle_ patrons, but I don't see how this will help you other than perhaps to exact a bit of personal revenge if anyone pays attention to it," Nelson said.

"They will…if no one else, I'm sure Abraxus will have words about it, and then Snape will have to make some sort of public statement," Amadeus said.

"Or it could simply be thrown at the trash bin like all the others," Nelson said. "And although I'll admit it will be entertaining to see how this little article of yours plays out, I don't think it's going to get you any closer to solving that problem of yours. It is high time you learned that people on this world will walk on you as long as you let them, and you won't stop playing the victim until you take control over your life and become willing to do whatever it takes to get what you want… and I do mean everything you want," he said in a low voice, taking out a potion bottle. Amadeus frowned at it in confusion. "Do you know what this is?"

"Is that the antidote?" Amadeus asked carefully, and Nelson rolled his eyes.

"I don't know of any antidote any more than you do, and would you please stop obsessing about that? This will help distract you from your problems."

"Why, what's in it?"

"A simple Polyjuice potion," Nelson said almost casually, while Amadeus frowned in confusion. "I had Sludgebat make up the entire lot from the small sample I was able to acquire thanks to his help along with my particularly crafty House Elf."

"What would I need a Polyjuice potions for?" Amadeus asked.

"It isn't for you, it is for that so-called girlfriend of yours… the one with no last name," Nelson had, unable to disguise his distaste. Amadeus stared at him.

"But how… wait. This has something to do with that business of the Snape's House Elf losing her memory, doesn't it?" Amadeus said with alarm. "But what if they find out about it?" Nelson rolled his eyes.

"My Elf did nothing more than clean a hairbrush. If they can't trace it to me, there is certainly no way they could trace it to you, and this is exactly the sort of thing that I mean. Stop cowering from your enemies and take control over your life! You won't do it by hiding behind your money and that protective order, and those fantasies of yours are nothing more than you trying to convince yourself that you could control them if you wished. That said, I am fully prepared to give you these bottles, but on the condition that you join some new companions of mine for a meeting at my home tonight. I have been asked to bring you with me, and I certainly do not want to go empty handed," Nelson said.

"Asked by who?" Amadeus asked warily.  
"A possible ally," Nelson said, holding the bottles out. Amadeus stared at the bottles, momentarily reluctant to take them, knowing full well that there was a lot Nelson wasn't telling him. But then his mind wandered to thoughts of Jeanette and he immediately gathered them all, stuffing one in his pocket and quickly locking the rest up in his office. "Come just before dusk, the others will arrive soon after."

"Fine, I'll be there," Amadeus agreed. Nodding in acceptance, Nelson then swept back out of the room. A knock landed on the door just seconds later, and the old goblin peered in.

"Did you want to pick up from where we left off, Mr. Longbottom?" the goblin asked.

"No, not really," Amadeus said, distractedly gathering the papers he had already signed and shoving it at the goblin. "Have Miss Jeanette come in to take some notes." The goblin raised a brow at that. "And take the afternoon off."

"With pay?"

"Yes, fine, just go," Amadeus said and the goblin quickly scrambled out of the room while Amadeus glanced around to make sure there weren't any mirrors.

* * *

"Amadeus Longbottom?" Foncé said, cringing at the name. "You cannot possibly be serious. Nelson I understand, but that thing is completely…. unpalatable. His blood is thinned by pure cowardice and he has less brains than a zombie. I would not deal with the man at all were he not a fool easily parted with his money and I am quite certain that Nelson would say the same, despite our difference of opinion on other subjects."

"The fact that he is easily led isn't necessarily a bad thing, Wingard, and despite his dull wit, he is still a man who will do practically anything to get what he wants. Like his groveling towards Lucius, for example… his attempt to waylay Craw to get her out of the picture… and he did succeed in getting what was left of Malfoy Industries in the end…" the ghostly figure said.

"As I understand it, he has spent most of his life since then squandering his fortune like a man expecting to die the next day," Foncé said.

"Perhaps he does, and perhaps he had some reasons to do so. I trust that soon he may feel differently, however," the figure said, pulling his hood further down over his face.

They walked over a well-tended lawn towards the back of an austere manor, meeting up with one of the meticulously groomed horse trails around the property. The sound of dogs could be heard when they passed to near to the kennel, despite the fact that the fog aided the darkness to hide their presence. The only light seemed to be coming from a large pristine stable where a man stood looking somewhat on edge while a taller man inside was busy looking over his prize mounts.

"This seems a rather odd place to meet anyone," Amadeus said. "Why don't we simply have drinks in the parlor like civilized people?"

"People are not civilized, Amadeus, at least not in my experience. These horses are probably more civilized than most I have met," Nelson said.

"People are more like cattle," said a cool voice that instantly filled him with a sense of dread. He stood up straight and looked around to see a red glint in the darkness, nearly pulling out his wand before the vampire and a tall hooded figure stepped into the light.

"Or sheep," the figure beside him mused. "I see we are all here."

"Why are we here again?" Amadeus asked, eyeing the strange figure warily.

"We are here because each of us have aspirations that would be much easier to attain if we were to form an alliance," the figure said. "Each of us has something that the others lack, and that knowledge or talent that we bring as individuals will strengthen us as we strive as one force to achieve our personal goals. You see, just as we all have things to contribute, we also have our own set of obstacles. But I believe that through our unity, we can overcome anything… or anyone, for that matter, who dare to get in our way."

"And what knowledge could I possibly have that would interest you?" Amadeus challenged him.

"A bit of knowledge that I think matches our own contributions, even between my knowledge of the Ministry, Nelson's knowledge of the financial world, and Foncé's knowledge of the dark past that so many longed to forget," the figure said calmly. "You, Mr. Longbottom, know a spell that can strengthen this alliance into something formidable. For if I am not mistaken, were you not a part of the student ground force who helped protect the school against the Plague Spell?"

"Well, yes… most of us were…"

"Then you must know what spell was cast to make your spells strengthen into one gigantic attack," the figure concluded.

"Oh that. Yes, I know it… we only used it that once, though. Always seemed to be a bit of a worthless cantrip to me," Amadeus admitted with a shrug. "How often does anyone really work that closely together, let alone plan out what they're going to cast that far in advance?"

"That is what the four of us are about to find out," the figure said, looking up to reveal his ghostly face in the light. "Let us see the horses!" Immediately Nelson opened the stable doors, and Amadeus stared dumbfounded at the four hunting steeds. The first was a white horse half a hand shorter than the others and of a bit more muscular build.

"The white horse; the calm before the storm, conquest, and the pestilence that follows it. It represents in many ways social uprising and revolution against established ideas of morality. Conquest is yours," Ludo said. Nelson handed the reigns to Amadeus who petted the steed unsurely.

"The red horse… War," Ludo went on, admiring the roan nightmare that stamped its burning hooves on the ground as if uncomfortable with the presence of the other steeds. "It takes a skilled rider indeed to handle such a dangerous mount, for War often lends to its own destruction."

"He will respond to me," Nelson said, settling the horse with a firm, steady hand. The ghostly figure hovered slightly as he moved towards a black horse.

"Next we have Famine… who better than to accompany him than you, Foncé? For no one knows hunger like a vampire does. Do you have skill in riding?" the figure asked.

"I have a skill in making any living creature yield to me," Foncé said in such a tone that Amadeus pulled up his collar.

"That leaves only Death, which shall be mine to ride," Ludo said, somehow managing to mount the horse.

The mottled sickly grey of the horse's coat looked even paler near the white ghostly face and hands, but he immediately reached in his robe pocket and pulled out some gloves and pulled down his hood so that nothing could be seen but shadows within, making him very much look like the visage of a reaper. But at the same time, Amadeus also noticed that his movements seemed more humanlike as well; off the ground with no hovering to betray that something wasn't exactly right, he looked nothing more than a wizard attempting to hide his true identity rather than a phantom.

"These forms will provide a cover as well as become a visage that will strike fear into the hearts of any who dare oppose us, but we have much work to do if we are to attain the level of precision required to defeat them. Let us begin, shall we?" Ludo said, leading the others out into the darkness.


	13. Jennifer Out of Sorts

Chapter Thirteen

Jennifer Out Of Sorts

"Follow me, Mr. Murphy," Professor Ravenclaw said, and then walked into the wall.

Leu stared at the dungeon wall that Ravenclaw had walked into, wondering exactly how the ghost expected him to do that. But suddenly he heard a click and then grinding as a heavy door down the hall slowly swung open. With his bucket in one hand and brush in the other, Leu shuffled over and peered inside to see a dark and gloomy room with stone floors and large rectangular tiles on the walls. They were vaults, he realized, not wanting to go in at all.

"In, Mr. Murphy," Ravenclaw said impatiently. Seeing his reluctance, Ravenclaw glanced over at a torch and it ignited, lighting up the room. Reluctantly Leu stepped in, more than a bit nervous that the door would close behind him, but it remained open. "This is the Memoritorium, which is obviously the castle's crypt. All of the ghosts in the castle are stored here, as well as the remains of several who have moved on. All of the rooms are interconnected, and as you can see this is the only one with its own door," he added when Leu nervously peered thru an open doorway to look into the next room. It was very similar to the one he was in but larger and filled with vaults with three other connecting doorways.

. "We have a bit of mold creep up because of the summer rains down here, and although we've hit it with a potion, a thorough cleaning of the floors and walls and ceilings will be needed to make certain it doesn't happen again. Be careful not to disturb the vaults themselves, and do not be surprised if you run into some of the castle's other ghost patrons while you're doing it. Some ghosts in particular tend to get stirred up when the living are too close to their remnants, and they are bound to come and investigate." Leu frowned at that. "Very well! You may as well begin. If you get into any trouble or if any of the ghosts are distracting you from your work, I shall remain here and work on some class material."

"But…what do you mean by here?" Leu asked when the professor began to fade away.

"Just call, I'll hear you," said Ravenclaw's voice distractedly, a stack of papers appearing out of nowhere as he shuffled through them. "You may begin, and best not be all day about it."

"Yes, professor," Leu sighed and picked a corner to leave his bucket.

"You'll find it more efficient to work from the ceiling down," the professor's voice advised when Leu started with the floor. Shrugging, the boy stood up, and after finding a small handle he could attach to the scrub brush began washing down the ceilings, managing to get a great deal of the soap in his hair in the process.

. It was dull work; he didn't even have anything to read, for instead of names on the vaults there was a series of roman numerals chiseled into the face of each one. It seemed rather stark and cold to Leu for the remains to have no marker, but on the other hand, they truly didn't need any since their ghosts were there to remind everyone who they were.

"Is Noah buried somewhere down here as well? Or is he buried under the boathouse?" Leu asked curiously as he scrubbed down the walls.

"Oh, he's in here, I'm quite sure. Most of them are. It is just that one simply has a tendency to become attached to the place where they've died, that's all," Ravenclaw's voice explained.

"Did you die in the North Tower?" Leu asked curiously.

"No, I died in the office of the Potion's Lab. It's gone now, that office… it's nothing more than an extension of the new lab, so I rather no longer feel attached to it, and it's just as well. Professor Craw is not a fan of me lingering about when she is teaching. Although to be fair, I don't suppose I'd like people hanging about my classroom while I'm teaching either," the voice admitted. "Come, come, back to work! You do have a lot to do, you know."

Just then there was a soft tapping noise and Leu looked up and blinked in surprise when he saw it was Aurelius standing at the door.

"Oh, hello, Leu. Ick, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"No one is stopping you…"

"I meant outside?" Aurelius said impatiently, glancing around the room. Finally, Icarus materialized.

"Very well. Llewellyn, when you've finished the floors, feel free to proceed to the next room," Ravenclaw said.

"Yes, Professor. I think I'm about ready to move now," Leu said solemnly, picking up the bucket.

"Very well! Oh, and um… be careful around Mr. Filch's vault. I'll be in to supervise in a moment," Ravenclaw said, floating outside.

"What number is it?" Leu asked, but Ravenclaw had moved away too quickly to hear him. Sighing softly to himself, Leu carried the bucket into the next room, setting down a bucket long enough he could light the torches. Even then, the long room was poorly lit and shadowed and quite chilly.

Deciding to clean from the nearest end to the farthest, Leu attached the handle and began working on the ceilings, his arms aching by the time he was halfway through it because of the odd angle in which he had to work. He paused for a rest, rubbing his arms and scowling at the three other doorways that'd inevitably lead to other rooms he would have to scrub when he noticed movement at the far end of the room.

Sitting on the floor in front of a numbered vault was the ghost of a cat, watching him with strange red eyes.

"Are there familiars buried here as well?" Leu wondered out loud. The cat simply hissed menacingly at him.

"I wouldn't go over there if I were you," said a girl's voice. Leu looked around nervously. "She's not a very nice cat, and I don't think she wants soap bubble sprayed about on the vault like you're doing to the other ones."

"I'm going to be cleaning it up. I simply have to do the ceilings first," Leu explained, but it was obvious from the low growl in her throat that the cat didn't believe him. "Is that her vault?"

"That's Mr. Filch's vault. Mrs. Norris was his cat," the voice explained. "You look a lot like my boyfriend. Are you his new friend he told me about?"

"Are you Myrtle?" Leu asked curiously. A moment later, the girl manifested so he could see her clearly, dark-haired and spectacle-eyed. She gazed at him with the same look of fascination that he was giving her. "I'm Llewellyn."

"Really? Nice to meet you, Llewellyn," she said. "My vault is in the next room. Are you going to clean it as well?"

"Just the faceplates, obviously," Leu said. When the cat hissed at him again, Leu wisely decided to finish the other half to the room first to give Ravenclaw time to get back.

"Are you in trouble for something?" she asked.

"I think this one is for being out after hours," Leu said.

"This one?" she said curiously.

"Yesterday's was for disturbing Commander Bellamy's class," Leu explained glumly.

"Goodness, you do get in a lot of trouble, especially for only being the first week. I hope you're not a bad influence on Noah!" she added with a frown. "I wouldn't like that."

"Don't worry, it won't happen again. I don't want my parents upset again let alone everyone else," Leu assured her as he scrubbed the walls. Every now and then he would look over towards the other half of the room, but Mrs. Norris hadn't moved. She simply sat there and watched him unblinkingly, fully prepared to hiss if he came too close for her liking. "I suppose I'm going to have to wait for Professor Ravenclaw to get back to do that part," he decided out loud.

"You can do my room next, Llewellyn. I don't mind," Myrtle said. "As long as you promise not to tease me about my glasses."

"Why would anybody do that?" Leu asked curiously.

"Well, how many ghosts have you seen with glasses on?" she asked.

"I hadn't ever seen any ghosts before I came here, so I'm sure I'm not a fair judge," Leu said. "I don't suppose it's fair to judge people by their looks anyway."

"You are very nice. I don't suppose you'd want to adopt me too?" she asked.

"I think we're only allowed to adopt one, but I suppose I can ask Professor Scribe," Leu decided.

"All right! Then maybe I'll help you! Look, your water is getting low! I bet I could help you with that!" she decided.

"Oh um… thanks, I guess. Wait, not so much!"

* * *

"Four horsemen? It is a very common symbol in Divination, you know, Aurelius. It is a symbol for death," Icarus explained.

"But have you seen them?" Aurelius asked.

"Once," Icarus said dryly.

"No, I meant something more literal this time. According to Conner, it sounded rather like she was talking about four dark wizards working together…"

"Four dark wizards?" Icarus repeated, a curious look coming to his expression. "There is something familiar about that for some reason, and this is a very strong year for the number four in Divination. I have to look something up… oh bother, I can't right now. I'm looking after the boy's detention. Well, there is something I can tell you from here, Aurelius, and that is that I am very concerned about exactly where this information is coming from."

"I don't expect Trelawney's information to be completely reliable, if that's what you mean…"  
"No, that isn't what I meant. I rather think in this case it is probably reliable," Icarus admitted. Aurelius frowned. "Rel, Sibyl doesn't have visions anymore; her time in the cave drove her talent deep within her because of what she saw."

"It also made her insane," Aurelius muttered.

"She was not far from it to begin with," Icarus pointed out. "But since that is the case, I would very much wonder about where she is getting such information from because she must be getting it from somewhere. If anything, I would worry that someone might have perhaps intentionally planted that information with her, knowing that she was likely to claim it a vision that she could spout off to passersby…"

"And knowing that eventually it'd get back to us. But why? Is it meant as a warning?" Rel asked, more to himself than to Icarus.

"I would think it's more likely meant as a challenge or as intimidation. I'm afraid this is really not a Divination matter so much as a psychological one," Icarus said.

"So I need to head back to Conner, but not without warning Father about all of this," Aurelius decided.

"Yes, it's probably best. Good luck, Aurelius. I'll let you know if anything does start to manifest in Divination that might help you," Icarus added.

"Thanks," Aurelius said. Hovering thoughtfully for a moment as he watched Aurelius walk towards the stairs, Icarus then turned and walked back into the vaults, stopping short when he finally found Leu sitting with scratches on his face inside a flooded room, looking quite glum.

"Mr. Murphy! What in the name of Mars have you been doing in here?" Icarus demanded.

"Please don't tell me I'm going to get another detention," Leu moaned so forlornly that Icarus simply sighed and helped him clean up the mess.

* * *

Sundays were going to busy days for Jennifer; not that they hadn't always been busy. But on top of her usual family visits, she also had to set aside a little time each week for Rus to help him adjust to his newfound talents.

She decided that early morning would be best and arranged then to have Sunday breakfasts at Baker Street. Sneaking in at dawn, Jennifer slipped into the kitchen and began preparing breakfast even before anyone else in the house woke up.

It was Alex who shuffled in and stared at her mother with a baffled expression on her face when she saw her busy frying up breakfast, a covered basket of scones already out of the oven and on the counter.

"Mum, what are you doing here?" Alex asked, sounding half asleep.

"I'm here to give Rus his Truth Seeking lesson, of course. Didn't Benjamin tell you?" Jennifer said distractedly, cutting up some fruit.

"I don't see why lessons are necessary at his age. Aurelius certainly didn't get them," Alex said, getting herself some coffee.

"Aurelius didn't get them because we didn't realize he was one," Jennifer reminded her. "And he'll be the first to admit that some of the problems he had growing up had to do with some of the things he had picked up at an early age. People can't always help what they think about…a lot of what we think about is an emotional response, or it's reaction to something else, first impulses and the like. Well, those passing thoughts can do a lot of damage to a child who doesn't understand that those thoughts aren't really aimed at hurting them even when they're involved in some way… they need to be prepared for it, and at the same time, they need to see that the talent also can be a blessing too if it's used properly so they don't feel like it's a curse."

"To hear Aurelius talk, it is a curse," Alex said.

"Well, it's true that he did feel that way for a long time, but I really don't think he feels that way now. I think he's come to appreciate its benefits, not only to his work but to his marriage," Jennifer said. "And I also think he would like to see Rus trained on how to buffer thoughts a bit so he doesn't have to go through the same level of aches and pains that he did. Not that he won't go through some… my mother taught me how to handle it but even so, school was really rough… no one ever said Truth Seeking was easy."

"Neither is being an Omnivox," Alex said dryly.

"No, I suppose not," Jennifer said in understanding. "But the wait is almost over, Alex. Jay will be in school next year, after all, and before you know it they both will be and you can come home again."

"Yes, but to what? I barely know them anymore," Alex said bitterly. "I only get to see them a few hours on the weekend, and all they talk about is what they did all week with their father and what accomplishments they've made without me."

"It shouldn't really be about you, Alex, it should be about them," Jennifer pointed out quietly. "Personally, I rather think you take their well being for granted."

"I'm surprised you didn't accuse me of taking advantage of Benjamin while you were at it," Alex said in annoyance.

"Whether you do or not, that is entirely between you and Benjamin and I have no intention of getting involved in that. I am here only to make sure Rus is getting the tutoring that he needs," Jennifer said. "And the nourishment to do so, of course… good morning, Janus! Are you hungry?"

"Fry-up!" Janus agreed.

"Well, get some tomatoes out so we can do it proper. Alex, do you want to see if the others are stirring yet?" Jennifer asked.

"I imagine that smell woke them all up. You know, I should probably be getting ready to head out…"

"Before breakfast? Don't be silly!" Jennifer tsked at her, then smiled warmly as Rus ran in with his father shuffling in looking rather tired. "Good morning! Come have some breakfast!"

"I hope you're not going to do this every weekend. I'll end up gaining weight for sure," Ben protested with a chuckle.

"Nonsense. You can easily walk it off," Jennifer tsked.

"Well I can say with confidence that I've been doing my fair share of walking," Ben said dryly.

"Still no luck?" Jennifer asked sympathetically.

"No, not in today's job market. I'm going to try looking in the magic world next, and if that fails try to go into business for myself online or something," Ben said.

"Well, I can't see how a computer programmer would appeal to anyone in our world," Alex said. "I think you ought to just stick to finding something to occupy your time at home and be done with it."

"And I would like something more meaningful to do than just 'occupying my time.'" Ben said.

"Aren't Jay and Rus meaningful enough?" Alex asked with exasperation.

"I don't know, Alex, are they to you?" Ben asked quietly.

"Good morning, Rus! How have you been?" Jennifer interrupted loudly.

"Jay can read!" Rus declared proudly, climbing into a chair.

"He can? That's amazing!" Jennifer said enthusiastically.

"He can't really read, Mum, he has simply memorized his favorite book," Alex said.

"Alex, that is how most children start to learn to read. Just encourage him to follow each word with a finger and he'll be reading like a pro in no time," Jennifer assured her with a smile. "And I think that is a very good sign. He knows his colors and numbers and alphabet and is interested in written words. Even if he may be behind on his speech development, I think he will be more than ready when school comes around."

"My children are not behind on their speech!" Alex said hotly.

"Alex…" Ben said warningly.

"No, I think I've had more than I can take of my mother for one day. I think I'm going to get ready to go home," Alex decided, ignoring the food altogether and going straight upstairs.

Jennifer sighed and tried to put a good face on things, burying her concerns as best she could during her lesson with Rus. But she couldn't hold it back when she went shopping with Fleur that afternoon. Fleur could always tell when something was troubling her, and it wasn't long before she suggested they find a table at the Leaky Cauldron and began coaxing it out of her.

"It is not like Alexandria to behave this way," Fleur said, shaking her head. "She has never liked the restrictions upon her, but it sounds as if it is really beginning to get to her."

"It's more than that, now. It's almost as if it's turned into something else," Jennifer sighed. "As much as she has always resented being apart from her family, lately it seems as if she pushes them away from her every time she does visit. She's so disconnected, and yet it seems as if she doesn't want things to get better. To be honest, she's really starting to remind me of how Severus was behaving before his sabbatical."

"And yet in his case, he felt trapped by his family, and yet Alex feels trapped on the outside," Fleur said thoughtfully.

"Yes, very much so," Jennifer sighed. "And instead of hating her work, it has become an escape away from her personal problems. It's awful really, you can feel the tension in the air any time Alex and Ben are in the same room together. I would bring it up to Severus, but you know as well as I do what his answer would be… to stay out of it and let her sort things out. And although in some ways I completely agree with him, a part of me is quite worried about Jay and Rus right now."

"Oh yes, I do understand, but try not to worry about it too much. You will be visiting Rus every weekend for a while, and the rest of us pop in from time to time to check on things, especially after the odd occurrence with Mercy. She will work through this somehow, and in the meantime this family will stick together as it always does when it is threatened," Fleur said.

"Threatened?" Jennifer chuckled. "Well, I don't know anything about feeling threatened. I do feel as if we're being watched though," she said, putting a hand against her neck thoughtfully. But the moment she glanced around the room, the sensation went away as if everyone in the Leaky Cauldron had turned their backs on them at once. "Perhaps we should have sat at Dad's table today," Jennifer said in a low voice. She glanced towards the back of the room where a small table covered with curses stood, unoccupied.

"Perhaps they are just curious, Jennifer," Fleur said.

"And yet I've gotten not one hello since we arrived when normally I would have gotten several by now," Jennifer murmured thoughtfully. "Something is up, but it shouldn't take me long to figure out what." She got up and went over to the bar, but when Tom ducked behind the counter to avoid her, the younger bartender blinked in surprise to find her walking to his side of the bar. "Good afternoon, Scott," Jennifer said, sliding her spectacles down a notch. "Quiet day today, isn't it?"

"Still early, Professor," Scott ventured. "Could I get you witches anything else?"

"They think my son's a _what?_" Jennifer said, completely caught off guard. Scott immediately tried to cover his eyes, but Jennifer had stopped paying attention, scoping out every table to find a discarded copy of that morning's _Oracle._ "In all my years, of all the things they have said, this has got to be the most utterly ridiculous conjectures of them all! Whoever started such a deplorable rumor deserves to be roasted!"

"Jennifer, what is going on?" Fleur asked, somehow managing to get past several patrons who had wisely decided to clear out of Jennifer's way.

"Straight from the Oracle's gossip column, the latest Snape 'scandal' it would seem," Jennifer growled, folding the paper and handing it to Fleur. Fleur gasped and covered her mouth when she read the headline, "Newest Snape's Parentage Questionable; Father Undetermined!" and reluctantly kept reading.

_In follow up to reports by the witnesses who have come forward about Professor Snape's inability to have children, the newspaper has since been able to acquire official board documents released five years prior confirming the fact. It has also been pointed out that nine months prior to the child's birth, Professor Snape had already been missing in the Otherworld for over a month. It seems more likely that said pregnancy must have therefore occurred while in the Otherworld, which would also mean the child is likely to be only half-human. Given that the child seems to have no outward fae traits, many conjecture that the father was likely to have been a demon that perhaps caught Craw unawares while on her dangerous journey. It is hoped by the paper that the true identity of the father will be revealed and that the child in question is put under a watchful eye until its demonic traits are fully known._

Fleur began to giggle but quickly caught herself when she saw just how furious Jennifer was, seething all the while she was reading the rest of the article.

"Oh, Jennifer, you would not let such a silly thing get to you, would you? It is just as ridiculous as you said it was!" Fleur said. "I do not think anyone would believe it for an instant, you know. You have a glowing reputation!"

"I don't care about that! They can say what they like about me!" Jennifer said, grabbing the paper and glaring at it. "But I'll be damned if I'm going to let them drag Quintin into this!"

"What are you going to do, Jennifer?"

"I'm going over to the Oracle and demand a retraction, that's what I'm going to do!" Jennifer said angrily, grabbing her cloak and hurrying out before Fleur could stop her.

"Oh… if Thomas comes in, let him know we'll be in Knockturn Alley," Fleur told Tom when he had reemerged to watch Jennifer go.

"I'll tell him to just follow the fireworks," Tom said. With a quick nod in agreement, Fleur hurried out after her.

She finally caught up just moments after Jennifer had entered the dilapidated building that served as a distribution office, the unlucky clerk at the desk having to explain it to Jennifer.

"Most of our regular offices are in Carthage, Professor. If you have any complaints about the content, you'll have to go there," he explained.

"I have a better idea. Why don't you go to the office and bring back whomever it is that is responsible for this article before I turn this building into a pile of ashes?" Jennifer growled.

"Oh, Jennifer!" Fleur cried out, hearing the threat as she stepped in. "Please calm down. I do not think it is his fault the paper wrote that!"

"Well, I want to know whose fault it is, then, and I want it fixed immediately!" Jennifer snapped. "Or the _Oracle _will soon find themselves with a lawsuit on their hands!"

"For what? Reporting popular rumors in a gossip column?" Jennifer looked up to a man in business robes standing in a back doorway. "As stated, it was mostly opinion, Professor, and the facts about having medical documents declaring your husband's position is easy enough to prove as legitimate. A former board member provided them."

"Former board member? I take it that means Abraxus knows something about this?" Jennifer said, clenching her fists.

"I wouldn't know, Professor Craw, you'd have to take that up with our editor in charge of…"

"Never mind the runaround! Despite what you might think, those documents are quite out of that date since my husband had taken a potion to reverse the effects some time ago," Jennifer snapped. The assistant raised his eyebrows at that.

"Isn't that supposed to be irreversible?"

"Oh come now, Kranz, no potion is completely irreversible. And before you ask, no I don't know how it works although I might be able to guess. If you want a confirmation, you'll have to ask Mr. Toby when he gets back from his trip since he's the one who concocted the thing. In any case, it's neither here nor there. My son is just as human as his father and I am, and I am not leaving here until you write something up retracting that article for tomorrow's paper," Jennifer said.

"I'll have to contact the other office, Professor Craw…"

"I want this fixed now," Jennifer said firmly back.

"Trouble?" said an unmistakable voice behind her and Jennifer turned to see her father standing there with a fixed expression.

"Your daughter was threatening us, Minister," the assistant editor said calmly.

"Craws don't normally threaten, and they only give one warning," Thomas said calmly. "But it's quite all right. If you're in here to take care of what I think you're in here for, I took care of it this morning at the other office. There will be a retraction tomorrow or this newspaper will find itself having a new owner since such an attempt at character defamation could be considered an attack against you and therefore grounds to have Longbottom's parole revoked… or at the very least put him into a nasty court mess."

"Longbottom wrote this?" Jennifer said in surprise.

"There was never any question about that," Thomas said evenly, gently but firmly escorting his daughter out of the office.

"But what would he do something like that for?" Fleur asked with surprise.

"Well considering that someone sterilized him with a potion, I believe he was trying to figure out how the two of you found a way around it," Thomas said in a low voice.

"It wasn't as if it were that much of a mystery. It was simply a potion! Not that Toby would ever help him with that… I don't think Amadeus can even see the shop anymore," Jennifer said, still quite agitated.

"Unlikely," Thomas agreed.

"And now because of this, a lot of panicked parents and part-time vultures that do nothing if not wait around for something interesting to harp at Severus about are going to come out of the woodwork thinking my baby is a demon or something," Jennifer growled. Thomas' lip twitched, but he kept walking.

"Surely no one will believe those stories, Jennifer," Fleur said, shaking her head.

"Oh, yes they will. They'll believe any wild story that has the name Snape involved," Jennifer sighed. "That's exactly the sort of thing we wanted to avoid with Quintin. We wanted him to have a normal childhood…"

"Being raised in the castle is normal?" Thomas said skeptically.

"I meant with parents around him all the time and no a full-time nanny," Jennifer snapped.

"Jennifer, while I am completely in support of what you and Severus are trying to do, you haven't got a chance in hell of that boy having anything close to what your idealistic idea of a 'normal childhood' is, so you might as well give it up now. I am still waiting to find out what sort of odd abilities _this_ one is going to have," Thomas snorted.

"Quintin doesn't have any odd abilities. There's nothing odd about Quintin at all," Jennifer said defensively. "And nothing is going to happen to him of a traumatic or life shattering nature that is going to change that fact, Father. Quintin is going to grow up to be a typical wizardborn child."

* * *

Severus glanced around, wondering why it seemed so quiet. It wasn't just that Quintin was sleeping, or that Rasputin and Descartes decided to follow the boy's lead and take a nap as well. It wasn't even that the paintings were quiet, although admittedly he had been working for so long that many of them had gotten bored and wandered out of their frames. And yet… there was something… his eyes suddenly became fixed on a shelf filled with miscellaneous trinkets gathered by different headmasters over the years and noticed that the weather device that Dumbledore had acquired late in his career was no longer spinning. In fact, it was quite still and wasn't making the soft whirring noise in the room that was so constantly present that he normally discounted it. Squinting at it with a frown, Severus got up and walked over to inspect it, more than a little baffled by what would have made it stop like that. But as he came over to take a closer look, he noticed that none of the other devices on that shelf seemed to be working either.

He was glancing around the room and wondering what could possibly cause that sort of interference when there was a rather unexpected knock at the door. He frowned at the appointment book, which still lay closed on his desk, and at the quill sitting unconcernedly as if no one had knocked at all. Resignedly Severus walked over and answered it, and was more than a little surprised when it proved to be Eric and Norman. Severus glared at his appointment book accusingly.

"Good afternoon, Severus. I suppose you know why we're here," Eric began, but then suddenly hesitated when he noticed the crib in the back of the room.

"Not even remotely, actually…"

"What is that doing in here?" Norman said, staring at the crib.

"Jennifer has gone out for the day so I happen to be looking after him, not that I see how that concerns you," Severus said.

"Actually, it concerns me a great deal. I rather think you'd be better off not having your family visits at the castle at all, especially under the circumstances," Norman said.

"What circumstances?" Severus prompted impatiently, glancing at Eric, who quickly gestured to let him know that he was washing his hands of it.

"Perhaps it'd be better if I just got to the point," Norman decided. "Tell me, Severus, is that child yours?" Severus stared at him.

"Exactly what sort of question is that?" Severus asked, and then glanced over at Eric expectantly.

"_The Oracle_ printed a rather intriguing article in the gossip column speculating that Quintin wasn't yours," Eric offered. Severus blinked but then rolled his eyes and walked back to his desk. "They used past medical statements and the timeframe around Quintin's birth as proof it couldn't be yours."

"Not that I expect everyone to understand how parallel time streams rarely coincide with each other, but why would I care? As you say it's in the gossip column, and since we're mentioned there at least once a week, I don't see why it would prompt any sort of conference," Severus said, well aware that Norman was slowly working his way over to the crib while trying to seem as casual as possible.

"Actually, the main reason I am here was to warn you about it, considering how far this particular article went," Eric said apologetically. Severus squinted. "You see… well, perhaps I should ask you to read it…"  
"I wouldn't get too close to that crib if I were you, Norman," Severus interrupted when he saw Norman peering in. "Eric, why don't you just tell me? Stalling about it is rather pointless, really."

"They think he's half-demon," Eric said flatly. Severus raised in eyebrows, a confused expression on his face.

"You have _got_ to be joking."

"Afraid not, Severus…"

Just then, Severus heard a sound and glanced around just as Quintin woke up. Startled, the baby looked up at the strange man who was leaning over the crib and staring at him intently. Immediately Quintin began to cry, the cry growing louder by the second despite Norman's attempts to talk calmly to him. From the railing above, Descartes began crying out in alarm, his eyes blazing and teeth bared, but Norman had only enough time to look up at the angry beast when something charged his legs and knocked him over.

"No! Call off the bas-" Norman's plea was cut off short as he suddenly took on a stiff, stony appearance. Rasputin hissed menacingly at him, refusing to back away from the fallen figure.

"I tried to warn him," Severus said with tired sigh, slipping his wand out to flip over Rasputin's eye patch and then picked up the baby who seemed to be humming a single note in protest. "Eric, would you get in that cabinet over there and get out the potion with Norman's name on it? It's a de-petrification potion I put away for this sort of thing, since he does seem to be making a habit of it."

"Which means he's going to file another complaint to the board about having Rasputin removed for being a student danger," Eric grumbled.

"He is in no way a student danger, Eric. He simply isn't fond of certain board members," Severus said, glancing at Quintin who had already started to calm down. "Descartes and Rasputin have become quite attached to Quintin over the last few weeks. Anyone would be a fool to try to get near him when either of them are around."

"So he has been staying here all this time then, hasn't he?" Eric asked with a frown.

"Yes, and considering the circumstances, I believe I have more reasons than ever to keep him close at hand, don't you?" Severus said evenly. Eric let out a long sigh, putting down the potion for a moment.

"Severus…"

Just then the door popped open and Jennifer stormed in, stopping short when she saw the odd scene inside.

"What the devil is wrong with my appointment book?" Severus asked, glancing over at his desk. But that was when he noticed the book was open and the quill was standing at the ready, having marked Jennifer down as "Abrupt conference to discuss a breakdown of personal and professional borders; with emphasis on recent rumors printed in the _Oracle._"

"Thank you," Severus told the quill sarcastically. The appointment quill went back over to the inkwell unconcernedly. "I see you're back early, Jennifer."

"I see I wasn't back early enough," Jennifer retorted. "I suppose the entire board thinks my son is a demon as well?"

"Of course not, Jennifer. It's obvious just by looking at the two of them together that Severus is the father," Eric protested. "No one really believes that story."

"Oh? Then why is Balmweed petrified on the floor?" Jennifer challenged him. At the reminder, Eric quickly excused himself and went over to the old wizard, casting a spell on the potion bottle until it seemed to drain on its own. Slowly his color came back and he sat up with a start.

"B…basilisk! Damn that lizard!" Norman stuttered shakily. "That animal has no business in this school!"

"The only one that has no business in this school at the moment is you, Balmweed! Don't you have something better to do than to come in here and cause trouble the instant there is something in the _Oracle_ that you can whine about? Or are you truly so intimidated by my four-month old that you have to come in here and try to throw your weight around?" Jennifer snapped. Eric's eyes went wide.

"That child should not even be in the school at all," Norman said grumpily, slowly getting up.

"If there is anyone here who isn't supposed to be in this school it's you, Balmweed! You've been nothing but a pain in the ass for thirty-five years, and you're always the first to show up at the first sign of blood. Well, I'm done with you harping on us any time there is a popular rumor you happen to disapprove of, and I'm most especially done with you taking advantage of rumors spread about my children! How would you like to see some of your closet skeletons in print? It wouldn't take very long for me to take a walk downtown, and I guarantee you they will be more than interested of hearing some of the things I'd have to say about your past!" Jennifer said. Norman gazed at her uncertainly, but it was obvious from her expression that she was quite serious.

"Truth Seekers are supposed to operate with a certain amount of discretion, Jennifer…"  
"I took no oath," Jennifer reminded him icily. "And I assure you that I will do whatever it takes to stop anyone who dares try to come between me and my child… especially when it is someone who has done nothing but try to keep me from my children from the start. Back off, Balmweed, before I tell them enough about your personal mistakes to get you thrown off the school board for good."

"Are you attempting to blackmail me?" Norman asked.

"Mumumumuh!"

"Push me further, and I'll do it on principle. For example, Eric, did you know about… what was that?" Jennifer said, turning around in surprise. She stared at Quintin sitting in his father's arms, looking quite uneasy.

"Mumumumuh!" Quintin chanted again, looking over at her unhappily.

"He means me! He really means me!" Jennifer exclaimed and suddenly burst into tears. She ran and picked up the baby in her arms, instantly shutting out the rest of he world completely in her amazement and relief, copying his sounds in hopes of getting him to do it again. "Yes, I'm your mummy…say it again, do say it again! Did you just want to be with me? Oh, you're so brilliant, isn't he brilliant? The most brilliant baby ever! Excuse me, I think he really needs a change, sorry…." she explained, still wiping her tears off as she went into the other room.

"She has gone completely mad," Norman said, gaping towards the curtain she had exited from, despite the fact that Severus looked quite calm and completely unconcerned about her behavior. "Honestly, I think for the sake of the school you really need to have that woman psychologically evaluated before someone ends up getting hurt."

"You might as well leave now, Norman, before you dig yourself in any deeper," Severus suggested, returning to his desk. "You made allowances last year so that this school staff can keep their younger children here during working hours, and since technically some of us are on call and working every minute we're in this school, that also includes evenings for staff members who have to stay over. Furthermore, even if that rule wasn't already in place, I really don't give a damn about how the board feels about it. Quintin is staying."

"Very well, Severus. But you'll have to deal with parental concerns about this on your own since you're not letting us have any say-so about it," Eric said.

"Gladly," Severus agreed readily. "Feel free to make me responsible if you will, I'll handle any complaints on the issue."

"Thank you," Eric said formally. "Come along, Norman. As you can see, the Headmaster has a lot of work to do."

"But what about that business with Jennifer flying off the handle?" Norman protested.

"Oh yes, thanks for reminding me. What do you suppose it was she thought I needed to know about you?" Eric asked. Norman furrowed his brows, staring at Eric who simply met his gaze steadily.

"Let's just go," Norman decided, walking out to the Door Lift. Shaking his head, Eric followed, shutting the door behind them.

The room grew quiet once more with only the soft whirring of the Whether-weather, chirping happily over the approaching autumn rainstorm.


	14. Rain Check

Chapter Fourteen

Rain Check

A heavy thunderstorm came in that evening, just as Llewellyn was putting the finishing touches on his homework and was changing for bed. Rain had always made him feel particularly sleepy, especially when hearing it from the safety of a comfortable room with a crackling fire. The plush bed with the cool sheets but warm water bottle made him fall into a deep slumber, the lights dimming on their own.

But suddenly felt a shiver running through him that jolted him abruptly awake out of his deep sleep and he saw a ghostly figure standing above him.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Noah shouted when Leu started howling and hiding under the covers. "It's just me, Leu! It's Noah!"

Leu became still under the covers a moment then peeked out cautiously. Finally, he sat up.

"What did you do that for? I don't see how I deserved that sort of treatment, scaring me like that!" Leu scolded him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry," Noah said sullenly. "It's… well, the roof, you see. They keep patching it, you know, but it's more charms and tar than anything else these days. The rain is coming in… probably enough to fill buckets and I hate buckets. They're so deep… someone's head could get stuck in one, you know."

"I suppose. I've never thought of it," Leu admitted.

"Can I sleep up here with you tonight?" Noah asked.

"Do ghosts sleep?" Leu wondered.

"Oh, well, not in the same way as mortals, exactly, although… it's rather nice to pretend to sleep sometimes," Noah said. "Can I stay?"

"I suppose it'd be all right," Leu decided and soon found the ghost climbing in next to him, pulling up the covers.

"Good night," Noah said.

"Good night," Leu said with a yawn, the two of them tugging covetously at the blankets for a moment before settling somewhere in the middle.

When Severus peered in a few minutes later, he couldn't help but stare at the two sleeping boys… or one rather, he mused to himself… despite the fact that Noah was acting almost human lately and presently seemed quite solid, he was still only a phantom. Severus sighed softly. Well, at least the ghost seemed to have gotten Leu out of his shell a bit. Perhaps it wasn't as bad as all of that. He heard a challenging croak and looked up to see Copper sitting on the nightstand, staring at him.

"No, nothing is wrong, but it is good to see you on guard, nonetheless," Severus said quietly. Apparently pleased with that response, Copper turned her attention back towards Leu. Severus silently closed the door and slipped out of the Ravenclaw rooms, cutting through the secret passages towards Gryffindor to ease his restless mind.

The common room was quiet, as it should have been at that hour; the only sounds came from the fire, a few snoring paintings, and the rumble of thunder in the distance. He slipped up the stairs, counting the doors carefully before finally opening one and peering inside, frowning when he noticed one of the beds unoccupied. He stepped inside and noticed a figure sitting near the window and took out his wand, putting a quick muffling barrier around the other two sleeping girls.

"What are you still doing awake?" Severus asked, Lucky immediately jumping to a defensive stance and then relaxing when she saw who it was.

"How did you get in here?" she asked, irritated that she had gotten startled.

"The door, how else?" Severus said evenly.

"With you I never know," Lucky said shaking her head.

"I still haven't gotten an answer," Severus pointed out, inspecting a set of magazines piled up on the desk. Grimacing at the content in the teen magazines, he rubbed his fingers together as if attempting to wipe away where they had been. "From the state of this table, I gather you haven't been up late studying for entrance exams."

"Eh, I haven't gotten a letter from Dale today and I was kind of worried that Jagger got delayed by the storm," Lucky said, sitting down on the ledge and looking out the window somberly.

"Do you often send letters to each other in the middle of the night?" Severus asked flatly.

"No, not really. I usually send him letters at mealtimes, and then another one when I'm in the library," Lucky admitted.

"You write him four times a day? What could you possibly be doing between taking classes and studying that would fill up four letters a day?" Severus asked with a baffled expression on his face.

"I don't know, just thinking about things, I guess. I always think of something," Lucky shrugged.

"You'd be better off putting that 'thinking' into your studies considering it's your last year, and I'm sure Irwindale would be better off spending his time elsewhere as well."

"Yeah, he does," Lucky sighed.

"Does what?"

"Spend most of his time elsewhere. He doesn't write me like I thought he would, even when I write him there's days he doesn't write me at all, and when I comment about it he just says stuff like he was tired and he forgot," she complained. Severus rubbed his eyes briefly.

"Fortuna, don't you think you might be expecting a bit much from him right now? College or not, he his out on his own for the first time and trying to figure out how to make his way in the world as an adult. And while I can't imagine what that might be like on his end, I can plainly see that you are behaving exactly like a teenager over his absence. He may not have that sort of luxury anymore."

"You just don't get it, and I guess I shouldn't have expected that you would. You were never away from Jackie when the two of you were dating…"  
"As a matter of fact, we were apart, actually, not long after we discovered we were fated for each other," Severus said, quickly getting her attention. "Dumbledore believed it would be best if she were out of sight for a while so he sent her to America for the summer to get some training in Truth-seeking. In the meantime, I was stuck chasing rats and other Death Eaters with Sirius, and I can say without question she probably got the better end of the deal."

"Did you worry about her?" Lucky pressed, impatient to make a point.

"Of course, although in some ways I believe she was more concerned about me," Severus admitted.

"So then how often did you write her?" Lucky asked.

"I believe I wrote her twice that summer, if I recall correctly," Severus mused. Lucky stared at him.

"You only wrote her twice? Get real! Nobody'd do that to a person they were interested in, you gotta be kidding me!" Lucky scowled at him.

"Fortuna, you have absolutely no idea just how much danger we were in at that point. If anyone had found out that I had saved her from Voldemort, it would have cost us both of our lives. I couldn't risk it," Severus explained quietly. "Besides, considering your mother would write me several times a week, usually to express her distaste in Auror Belle's cooking, I really didn't feel the need. I already knew she was doing well, and I was much too busy to express trivialities."

"What? Wait… are you trying to tell me I'm writing too much?" Lucky frowned, thinking it over.

"I am trying to tell you that it's time you stop thinking through your worries and fears and start using your head. You are the one who has him at an advantage in this situation, after all; he has only your letters to find out what is going on with you and the school, while you have plenty of other sources to find out what he's up to," he pointed out, glancing back at the stack of magazines knowingly.

"He's not in any of those. Now that he's retired, they only care about reporting him if he screws up," Lucky snorted.

"If he isn't 'screwing up' as you say, why worry? Don't you think they would report it if he stepped a toe out of line?"

"Well, yeah, but it'd take me a couple weeks to hear about it," Lucky brooded.

"Perhaps, although considering that two of his 'biggest fans' just joined the Owls, you may hear about it before it even reaches print. Either way, might I suggest a bit of a psychology experiment? Stop writing for a while, and see how long it takes to wonder about what is going on with you for a change…and don't write him again until he writes you," Severus suggested.

"But that could just result in gradually writing less and less 'till we stop writing altogether! I don't wanna grow apart!" Lucky said, aggrieved.

"I highly doubt that would happen, but if it did, it simply means it wasn't supposed to be. In any case, it isn't like you to suddenly be dithering like this. Whatever happened to the independent girl who doesn't need anyone or anything who plans to take Manhattan by force if necessary?" Severus challenged her.

"Actually, I've been trying to figure that out myself," Lucky admitted somberly.

"Yes, well, considering it's your last year, now is the time… but don't sacrifice studying for soul searching. You have your hands full this year trying to make decent NEWTs and passing college exams," Severus reminded her. "Both of which would probably be easier on a good night's sleep."

"Yeah, yeah, I get the hint," Lucky said, closing the window and heading back to bed. "You could probably use some rest too, you know, chasing students around all day."

"Isn't that a visual," Severus scowled, but got a grin in return before he took off his muffling spell and slipped back out of the room.

Severus only needed to take a few steps before he arrived at his study, walking straight through and into his sitting room, which had been going through, some dramatic changes that year. His Holmes corner had completely disappeared and all its contents cramped onto an extra bookshelf near his desk. In its place were Quintin's crib, dressing table and bureau, as well as all the toys, bottles, lotions, potions, and nappies that went along with him. He peered inside to see the boy was fast asleep, apparently lulled into a deep slumber from the sound of the pouring rain. But as he went to close the window, he noticed that the candles were lit in the other room, and stepped into the bedroom to find Jennifer sitting up in bed, reading.

"What are you doing awake? I thought you had an early class tomorrow," Severus said, closing the windows closest to the bed.

"I did sleep for a while, but my mind was refusing to shut down," Jennifer admitted. "Then when I woke up enough to notice you were gone, I decided to just give it up and wait for you to get back."

"Oh? What is troubling you?" Severus asked with a frown. "The business with the paper?"

"No, it isn't that… well, I am still burning over it, but that's not what I was thinking about. Severus, do you think that we're being selfish keeping Quintin here?" Jennifer asked. Severus blinked and then stared at her. He then took two steps over and stared at what was left of his sitting room.

"No," Severus said flatly.

"Oh, well, I didn't mean the bit of personal space, Severus…"

"How about the part where our personal time outside of work is nonexistent?" Severus pointed out.

"Well, yes, but we chose that," Jennifer said. Severus squinted at her as if considering whether or not to debate the point. "I mean, well, I have been wondering if my reasons for wanting to keep him here are the right ones."

"Does it really matter now that it has all been said and done?" Severus asked out of exasperation.

"I suppose it doesn't," Jennifer admitted, looking for her bookmark.

"If I didn't know better, I'd wonder if you somehow didn't feel guilty for some reason," Severus said, getting it off his own nightstand and handing it to her.

"In a way I am," Jennifer admitted. "If anything, I rather feel badly that we weren't ever able to do this before."

"I seriously doubt we could have done any differently when we had the first four, Jennifer. Not only because of how much danger it would have put them in, but the attitude of the board was quite different as well. It wasn't so long before we got married that teachers having anything other than a professional relationship was frowned upon, you know," Severus pointed out.

"So I recall, but Dumbledore was always so supportive," Jennifer remembered with a smile.

"And it laid the foundations for how open our faculty is about their marriages and families are now. I suppose a great many former Headmasters are turning in their graves at the thought of it," Severus mused. Jennifer chuckled at that. "But the point is, just as you and I have come a long way since we met, this school and its staff have also come a long way. Despite the changes, there is one thing I am certain of, and that you especially have always done everything in your power to do whatever was best for your family at the time."

"Of course I have. I'm a Craw," Jennifer said defensively.

"And since you have always done your best, you have nothing to feel guilty about, no matter how elated you are about Quintin's first word," Severus said, Jennifer smiling beatifically at him. "Now, we really ought to get some sleep."

"Oh, very well! I suppose if we must, we must," Jennifer said in such an exaggerated tone that he eyed her thoughtfully.

"Are you attempting to be difficult?" he asked, squinting at her.

"Yes," Jennifer said with an enigmatic smile.

"You really shouldn't be so willing to lose sleep when you're obviously suffering from sleep deprivation," he scolded her.

"There are other kinds of deprivation, and honestly, we've been suffering from sleep deprivation for months now," Jennifer teased.

"A valid point," Severus murmured, leaning over her and kissing her. But he hadn't gotten very far when he began to hear a constant "muhmuhmuhmuh" coming from the other room.

"He's brilliant, isn't he, Severus, isn't he brilliant?" Jennifer purred happily.

"Perhaps, but he needs to work on his timing," Severus said grumpily, reluctantly letting her up to check on him.

* * *

Standing out in the drizzling rain at the edge of the forest, a lone figure watched the castle, carefully studying the windows and watching the ones that were still lit. He stood there patiently; time had little meaning to him, any more than the cold beating rain had. Finally the last light went out for the evening, and the figure took the shape of a black wolf and padded off into the darkness.

While far to the north, two wizards on horses worked their way through a cold dense fog coming out of the swamp, their silent hooves leaving no snowy footsteps behind to mark their passing.

"It would be in one of these houses on the village outskirts," murmured Nelson.

"I haven't gotten anything from the indicator yet," Amadeus said, watching the bracelet wrapped around the middle part of his hand. Just then there was a flash and he pulled up, taking a quick look around. "He's in there, I think."

"Lead the way in. I don't think we need worry too much, however. As sloppy as he has been covering his tracks, he has no more magic than what his vampiric condition has given him," Nelson said, taking out his wand.

It took very little time to break into the house. The door became unlocked with the most basic of opening spells, and in no time they had charged in the house. Casting a spell on himself so that he could see better in the dark, Amadeus quickly looked around.

"Over there, look… a break in the wall, almost like a secret door becoming ajar," Amadeus said.

But as he went over to open it, the vampire came out baring his fangs and making a motion with his hand that made him grow taller and more menacing. Nelson, however, had been expecting an attack and sideswiped him with a blinding spell, giving Amadeus time to recover and cast a strong stun on him. It was then that Nelson came up behind him, driving a stake into his back and straight through his heart. Amadeus grimaced as the vampire crumpled to the floor, the figure turning strangely black and shriveled.

"Grueling, isn't it? I don't think I'd want to be a vampire hunter for a living," Amadeus said.

"Certainly not. There's no money in it," Nelson said and then paused when he heard moaning coming from below. "Wait, he might have a servant."

"Why don't you go first this time?" Amadeus suggested.

"Because it's your job to go first," Nelson said, gesturing with his wand for him to go down there. Readying his wand again, Amadeus reluctantly went down, but then relaxed slightly when he saw there were no servants but a series of three jail cells; one empty, one containing an unkempt blonde woman in her mid-thirties, the last one a teenage boy.

"Look, it's not him! They've finally found us!" the boy said.

"Thank god! Where is he? Please help us out of here!" the woman pleaded.

"Absolutely not," Nelson said, stepping up behind Amadeus. "The two of you got yourselves into this mess, it's your own fault that you're doomed to this fate. I refuse to take part in any action that might label us as vigilantes… I had enough of that sickening sentiment when my daughter turned out to be one. We'll give them to Famine to play with. He can use them to mark his new territory," he explained to Amadeus.

"But he might kill them," Amadeus murmured back.

"I doubt that he would if he wants to use them as territorial markers, but does it matter either way?" Nelson asked in return.

"Killing a vampire whose already dead is one thing, but these are actual people," Amadeus hissed.

"Enough, we'll discuss it later. Besides, it isn't as if we'd be the ones killing them, is it?" Nelson said, and then pointed him towards the stairs. With one glance over his shoulder, Amadeus walked back up the stairs with Nelson right behind him, closing the door on the begging pleas of the two victims.

"I don't like this whole idea of helping any vampire wage a war over the others…seems like it's dangerous to pick Foncé as one of the four…"

"It was dangerous of Bagman to pick any one of us. Any of us would turn on the others if we had a good reason," Nelson said unconcernedly. "Sooner or later, I am certain that one of us shall do exactly that… but hopefully not until each of us have reaped the rewards or working together," Nelson said with a grim smile. "Come, let us report in and see what is next on Bagman's list."

"I think I already know," Amadeus admitted before he Disapparated.


	15. Juggling

Chapter Fifteen

Juggling

Crates, Puzzleboxes, covered paintings and bags were strewn all over the Artifacts department when Alex hurried past several bored Enforcers who stood by the door.

"Sorry I'm late. Anything yet?" Alex asked when Aurelius raised an eyebrow at her abrupt entrance.

"No, but do you have your inventory report?" Aurelius asked.

"Yes I stopped and picked it up, but everything is fine. Nothing has been touched on my end," Alex said, handing him the paperwork.

"That's odd, I would have thought…" Aurelius began, but then thought better of what he was going to say when Coffers came over.

"I hate inventory! Is this all really necessary?" Coffers said grumpily, watching as his assistants sorted through the boxes while a small army of spotters from Accidental Magic looked on.

"Thomas thought so, and obviously Minister Malfoy agreed with him," Aurelius said calmly.

"But we've already taken inventory this year…"

"And found something lost in the process. We want to make sure nothing has been taken since," Aurelius explained.

"We've had security improvements since then, Auror Snape," Coffers said proudly.

"Who is handling the goblin vaults?" Aurelius asked Alex.

"Percy has his brother going through our main vaults now, and Anna is helping Gabe from Muggle Artifacts go through their inventory," Alex said.

"Do you have legitimate business here, sir?" of the guards outside the door asked.

"Of course I have legitimate business! What sort of wizard do you take me for?" huffed the unmistakable voice of Abraxus Coventry. Alex rolled her eyes. Aurelius sighed and reluctantly went over to the door.

"We're in the middle of an inventory, Mr. Coventry," Aurelius explained.

"Didn't this department just do that?" Abraxus asked in annoyance, walking up to the desk.

"Terribly sorry, Mr. Coventry, but it's a necessary evil at times," Coffers said apologetically. "How can I help you?"

"Ah, yes. I bought another antique from Brumbleby's Auction house and am here to fill out paperwork so I can ship it over," Abraxus said, sounding more cheerful. "I brought my invoice."

"Very well, I will look at it for you, I'd rather my clerks not lose their places. Ah, here are the forms. Might I see that?" Coffers asked.

"Thank you," Abraxus said, handing him the invoice.

"Adding to your collection?" Aurelius asked casually.

"Pardon?" Abraxus said, glancing over the form.

"I just meant you're a well known collector of rare magic pieces," Aurelius said. "Some are often in display at the Suites."

"Oh yes, my family has been collecting for years… but you'll find I keep them all in good order, I have records for everything," Abraxus said calmly as he filled the paperwork out.

"Yes, I know. It's too bad some of the others in your order don't do the same, though," Aurelius said.

"Which order? Do you mean the Wizard Financial Union?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"No, I meant Equinox," Aurelius said evenly. Alex scowled and poked him disapprovingly, but he ignored it completely.

"The Order of Equinox was disbanded quite some time ago, Aurelius," Abraxus reminded him.

"Perhaps by that name, although I find it odd that so many old members of Equinox ended up in the Magical Antiques Collector's Society of yours…"

"My dear Aurelius, just because some of us still have interests in collecting some rare pieces now and again isn't a reason to condemn us. The criminal element of Equinox disappeared when Bagman was caught, nor do I know of any in the Society that would be involved in that sort of activity. I find it a great deal easier to keep everything legitimate. I need not steal or smuggle or any of that silliness; anything can be bought for a price with a bit of patience and persistence. In a way, it's part of what makes it fun… the anticipation of receiving an item can be just as great as actually owning it. Have I dotted all my i's, Mr. Coffers?"

"Thorough as always, Mr. Coventry. Let me simply double-check some bylaws on charmed vases against the allowed imports list," Coffers said, wandering towards the filing room. Alex sighed silently when she realized that Abraxus probably wasn't going anywhere for a while.

"So how about lunch then?" Aurelius suggested after seeing her expression. "We'll just drop by the lab to get Ginger and head upstairs for a bit."

"Sure, we may as well, I suppose…"

"Oh, it's Alexandria! Your pardon, I didn't notice you when I came in thanks to all those blasted Enforcers in the way…" Abraxus muttered, the guards at the door giving him dirty looks in response.

"It's quite all right, how do you do? Hate to chat and run, but Rel's right in that we probably ought to take lunch while we can. There's still a lot to do, you know…" Alex explained quickly.

"I rather don't see how you have anything to do with such an audit. I thought you were simply a Muggle advocate these days," Abraxus said.

"She's also one of the Ministry's more reliable translators," Aurelius pointed out before Alex could comment. "Inventory goes a lot faster when we don't have to stop and read runes all the time.

"Oh! Brilliant idea then, I should have thought of that," Abraxus said politely.

"Yes, my brother is always creating work for me to do," Alex said slyly.

"As if you don't give me a fair share in return," Aurelius retorted, stepping outside. A moment later, Alex followed behind. "With any luck, he'll be gone when we get back in there."

"Why is that? Did he know anything?" Alex asked curiously.

"No, he doesn't seem to, but I don't put it past him to go and repeat everything he might hear to someone else," Aurelius said.

"I thought you wanted everyone to know that we were going to start doing random inspections, Rel," Alex said with a frown.

"Let's just hope that's the only thing he's interested in," Aurelius said.

"Hey, Rel, wait up!"

The two of them turned to see Harry walking towards them.

"Something wrong?" Aurelius asked with a frown. "Bad news?"

"Yeah," Harry admitted quietly. "It's that vampire near Durmstrang… Bludovic d'Viers. You know, the one who tends to leave the corpses."

"How could he leave corpses? Don't those that die in the act turn into vampires?" Alex asked curiously.

"Not if they murder their victims before draining them," Harry said grimly. "Anyway, he's been destroyed."

"And how is that bad news?" Alex asked with a frown.

"Well, the way they found out about it was two of his victims apparently escaped at the end. They were wandering around the village disoriented… apparently they were Obliviated, with no memory of where they had been. Both of them had bite marks on them; the problem is, it wasn't Bludovic who did it," Harry explained. "The fangs were farther apart from one another than this vampire's normal bite. One of the neighboring vampires must have found out that Bludovic was dead and moved into the territory even before what was left of his remains were found… and there's only one vampire neighboring that area who is a wizard."

"Foncé," Aurelius said darkly.

"So his territory encompasses two of Europe's three biggest magic schools now…" Alex murmured.

"And he still owns that vineyard in France, not that he's ever there now," Harry said. "Of course, that's only part of the problem. The other part being that Bludovic was a fellow clan member, and there is no way that Foncé would have murdered a Connacht. It's just unthinkable."

"No, he wouldn't do that, at least not so early in the game," Aurelius agreed. "Someone must be helping him… someone who isn't a vampire."

"But who would be willing to murder to help a vampire expand his territory?" Alex whispered, suddenly aware that they were still standing in the hall.

"Whoever it is, anyone willing to take these kinds of risks for him expect to get something in return," Harry said. "And you can bet whatever that return is it has something to do with territory that Foncé already has claims to. In other words…"

"Hogwarts," Aurelius said with a nod.

"Wait… the first vampire who died was caught because 'the Ministry' supposedly gave them a tip," Alex said with alarm. "Does that mean that whatever has been happening here is connected to whoever is behind this?"

"I'd say it's a good possibility," Harry agreed. "Rel, I'm going to need you to track down that Belgium Auror and find out exactly who it was that gave him that message."

"Right," Aurelius sighed. "I don't suppose I could take Ginger along?"

"Considering you're just making inquiries, I honestly don't care, but send word back before you get a round in," Harry said.

"I would have done so anyway," Aurelius said defensively.

"I suppose I had better see what I can find out here then," Alex said.

"Yes but…try to be careful about it, Alex…"

"I'm always careful," Alex said, putting her nose in the air.

"How about more than usual then?" Aurelius said dryly.

"I think that goes for everyone," Harry agreed. "Come on, we have a lot of work to do."

* * *

"Alvin," Severus said with a sigh. "Exactly how do you expect to drink your tea while you're doing that?"

Alvin Archibald stopped bouncing Quintin on his knee for a moment and got an immediate protest in response.

"Any suggestions on how I can stop?" Alvin asked.

"Just put him on the floor. Rasputin, guard the stairs," Severus added for good measure. Alvin blinked in surprise when the large lizard came out from under the crib, for he hadn't noticed him there before. "There we are, put him down… he hasn't gotten past the scooting stage, so he can't get that far."

"Then why have Rasputin block the stairs?" Alvin said knowingly, putting him on his belly.

"That is simply because I don't trust my children," Severus said calmly, handing him his cup.

"Should I close the doors?" Alvin chuckled.

"No, I'm expecting Jennifer will be arriving, but don't trouble over it. Instead, why don't you tell me what problem might have brought you all the down here to see me," Severus suggested.

"Actually, it is about a problem we both share now," Alvin said, quickly growing somber.

"Which is?" Severus prompted, tapping a finger on the desk impatiently.

"The Marquis de Foncé," Alvin explained, Severus squinting in response. "The vampire who had been causing so much trouble in the village was staked by someone, and within a day, I had word that Foncé was buying business property in the area. I believe its safe to say his range now includes my school as well. Considering he is a wizard and he would he more difficult to keep out of the school than the last, I came to ask what sort of trouble can I expect from him."

Severus thought about it for a moment before getting up to stretch his legs, glancing over at Quintin before refreshing his cup.

"He has not gone after the school directly, at least up until now," Severus said.

"Oh? What about indirectly?" Alvin asked.

"Indirectly, he has worked against my family on occasion, specifically threats towards Francis, Alicia and their children," Severus explained.

"That makes sense, considering Francis' past with the clan," Alvin agreed.

"Yes, well, because of those threats, he's also had a very explosive run-in with my wife before."

"Oh? And he's still alive?" Alvin asked half-jokingly.

"She barely scratched him," Severus said so seriously that Alvin's expression grew dark. "Foncé may not be considered an elder among his own clan, but the power he has gained at the expense of his victims cannot be ignored. He has incredible strength, sight, and a great tolerance against any dark magic… and even some tolerance for Ancient if I'm not mistaken."

"But that's terrible! That means if I need to face him for some reason, I won't be able to take him…"

"Perhaps not with magic, no, but there are still have basic options open. The sun is still the sun, and a stake is still a stake, after all. Assuming, of course, that he plans to take on your school. This territory may be nothing but his making a statement to his clan."

"Yes well, some statement," Alvin grunted. Severus noticed movement and glanced out the doors to see Harry picking Quintin up and bringing him back into the room.

"Fast lil' cub, isn't he?" Alvin chuckled.

"Hi. I see you've heard," Harry said with a nod to Alvin before putting Quintin back down on the floor.

"Alvin was looking for advice on how to deal with having Foncé on his back doorstep," Severus explained.

"If it's any consolation, I doubt you have anything to worry about, Professor Archibald, at least not at the moment. Right now, Foncé is only concerned about humans as a commodity," Harry said.

"A commodity?" Alvin repeated with a look of disgust.

"Not only as a food source, but as a measure of power… a commodity that can be traded as well," Harry said. Alvin squinted. "Aurelius and I believe that Foncé probably tipped someone off as to where to look for Bludovic so that person could get him out of his way."

"Ah, I see," Alvin sighed. "Well, to be perfectly honest, I am glad Bludovic is destroyed no matter who did it. He brought nothing but pain and terror to the village, although I don't like the idea of getting one lunatic vampire in place of the other."

"I don't think it's you who needs to worry, Professor Archibald. This move into your territory was purely political in nature. We're the ones with the problem, because I am certain that whoever it is who has been helping him is here in Britain," Harry said. "And I have a feeling that whatever it is that they want in return is also going to be here."

There was a pause of thoughtful silence, giving Severus a chance to notice how quiet it was.

"Where is Quintin?" he asked out of the blue, making everyone look around at once. "Rasputin, is Quintin out there?"

"No, he left," Rasputin hissed.

"What do you mean he left?" Severus asked with alarm, getting up.

"Fifth boy went out the magic door," Rasputin explained. "I guarded the stairs."

"A lot of help you were! Potter, did you leave the Doorlift open?"

"Of course I didn't, though I found him right by it when I brought him back over here. He must have wished it open."

"But which floor?" Severus scowled, glancing at his watch to see it reading "Hogwarts."

"Try the map?" Harry suggested, and Severus immediately got in the drawer, frowning when he saw that it was blank.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," Severus growled at it.

The parchment stayed blank.

"Here, let me try it. I'm not sure it believed you," Harry said. Severus gave him a dirty look but thrust the map in his direction. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," Harry said. He waited for words to form. They never did. "How strange," he murmured, opening it up to reveal more blank parchment.

"Has it ever not worked like that before?" Alvin asked from over Harry's shoulder.

"I don't need this right now!" Severus snapped. "Fine, I'll simply have to try every floor until we find him…" just then there was the sound of someone clearing her throat. The three of them looked over at the door to see Jennifer standing there in her long red coat and a baby in her arms. The unamused expression and flaming sparks in her eyes was evidence enough that she was far from happy.

"Did you lose something important while I was away?" Jennifer asked dangerously. Harry and Alvin quickly decided to find seats out of the line of fire.

"Um," Severus began. "Actually, he was right here until a moment ago, and I only took my eyes off of him for a second…"

"It only takes a second!" Jennifer snapped furiously. "Honestly, what would have happened if he found his way into the lower levels or something instead of the entry hall?"

"He had no reason to go down there, really… oh look, he's saying mummy again… he was probably just wanting to see you…"

"Because you obviously weren't paying attention to him!" Jennifer said hotly. "Never mind, I should have known I couldn't afford to run errands these days, and I won't discuss it in front of your guests or Quintin any further. Excuse us."

Jennifer strode through the study and went back through the curtain, leaving Severus standing there with a clamped jaw and a pained expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, where were we?" Severus asked flatly.

"I think we had better have some more tea," Harry suggested sympathetically.

"I don't think I've ever seen this side of you before, Severus," Alvin teased mercilessly. "But don't worry, even Headmasters are allowed to make mistakes now and again, especially when they are husbands as well."

"Thank you for the unwanted sentiment," Severus said sarcastically. But as he paused to take his seat, he couldn't help but notice that the parchment Harry had put on his desk was no longer blank. A curious feeling went through him then, glancing back at the curtain with a distant look on his face before quickly folding it up and putting it away, turning his attention back to his guests.

* * *

Jennifer came out of the bathroom and squinted suspiciously at the alchemist roses sitting on the bedside table before proceeding to walk into her own sitting room. Quintin was entertaining himself by making various noises at Ratfly.

"You'll be lucky to get much response out of Ratfly these days, I'm afraid, short of dinner time. Did you want to go out tonight, Ratfly? The weather is still mild, and it might be your last night out before the next bout of rain comes through," Jennifer warned him, opening the window. The old bat stretched his wings as if debating her sincerity before reluctantly deciding to take up the offer. "There, that's better! And I'm glad to see him getting some exercise for a change! And you, Mr. Snape, have had more than your fair share for one day. You need to settle down and go to sleep, young man," Jennifer told him sternly, covering him up. But the moment she moved her hand away, Quintin kicked the blankets off. "Please don't do that! I would like to get some sleep sometime too, you know," she scolded with exasperation, putting the blanket back over him.

"Need some help?" Severus asked from the doorway but was quick to step to the side when a book was launched in his direction. Neatly he caught it, glancing at the title. "'Sign Language for Babies?' What's next, Wards by Single Gestures?"

"Would you please stop being so critical?" Jennifer snapped angrily. "And get out of my sitting room!"

"I wasn't attempting to be critical, Jennifer, but if I were, I would point out that having a shouting match in front of your son could also be construed as 'irresponsible parenting'…."

"I am not shouting!" Jennifer shouted at him. "And how dare you even compare it to him wandering off…"

"He scooted a few feet down the hall. He was never in any danger."

"He could have been! You of all people know that!" Jennifer snapped. "You and your tightening family security all the while your son is taking off…"

"He is simply attempting to explore his home, Jennifer. I imagine he probably was curious as to where exactly his mother went after seeing you go out that door so many times before. And I have already apologized for allowing myself to become distracted, although it has become more and more of a trial to get any work done. I don't suppose we could arrange for a babysitter on the weekends?" Severus suggested.

"In that case, we might as well have hired a full-time nanny as we did before and be done with it!" Jennifer said, and then suddenly looked deflated. "Oh, Severus. This isn't working out well at all, is it?"

"You didn't truly expect that keeping him here would be easy, did you?" Severus asked.

"Well, no, but I really didn't mean it to be this much of a constant trial, either," Jennifer admitted. Severus sighed softly and went into the other room for a moment, coming back with his violin.

"Should I attempt the Mendelssohn or the Brahms?" Severus asked, encouraged by the thin, tired smile that had appeared on Jennifer's face.

"The Brahms, I think. I recently read an article that young children often fall asleep to protect themselves from irritating noise," Jennifer teased.

"Ha ha, very funny," Severus said indignantly, glancing in the crib to see Quintin was still wide-awake but watching him curiously. "Fine, I'll play the Brahms," he murmured. "And don't you dare put up a Sonorous Shield like you did last time. After all, you picked it," he said with annoyance.

"Fine," Jennifer said, digging in a storage chest and pulling out some earmuffs. "Very well! Proceed!"

In very little time, the sour music somehow managed to lull the boy to sleep, and Severus managed to coax his relieved wife into the next room.

"I should think he'll sleep all night tonight, considering all the mischief he got into today," Severus murmured quietly.

"Perhaps if you watched him better, he wouldn't get into so much mischief," Jennifer reminded him.

"You never let anything go, do you?" Severus scowled at her. Jennifer blocked it by opening a wardrobe door. "If you must know, I wasn't expecting him to have been capable of getting that door open at his age, although with everything else that he has done so far, I suppose I should have been alert for such oddities."

Jennifer pulled back the door enough that she could meet his gaze.

"Exactly what do you mean by that?" she asked, a strange tone in her voice.

"I mean that every now and then, things of magical nature seem to stop working for no reason, and the only thing all the events had in common was the fact that Quintin was there every time it happened," Severus explained.

"And just how do you know that?" Jennifer challenged him.

"Because I was there as well, obviously…"  
"Exactly. So it just as well could have been you, couldn't it have? After all, it has been before," Jennifer said coolly.

"Fair enough, but if it were the case, then it seems to me that it would happen as often when I am alone, which it doesn't. It only happens when Quintin is in the room, just as it had that day when your coffee machine stopped working," Severus said. Jennifer stared at him.

"You're blaming Quintin for the coffee pot not working?" Jennifer said flatly.

"That is nothing compared to the fact that the map stopped working, Jennifer. Potter couldn't even make it cooperate…that has never happened before," Severus said. "Not to mention how often my appointment book and other instruments in my office have stopped working since he arrived…"

"I think the answer is rather clear, don't you? There isn't anything odd about Quintin so much as you simply don't want to deal with watching him when I'm not around so you're trying to come up with reasons that he has to stay out of your office," Jennifer said.

Severus blinked once and then squinted at her.

"Give me those spectacles," he demanded, holding his hand out.

"Fine, but it doesn't prove anything if you are doing this subconsciously, does it?" Jennifer said, but handed them over.

"I am not doing it subconsciously!" Severus snapped.

"You have no way of knowing that," Jennifer pointed out.

"Jennifer, I admit knowingly that since we took on this insane challenge, I have very much missed the ability to simply take a night off now and again to unwind, especially since we have a fair amount of volunteers who would be willing to take him off our hands for an evening. But I am not behind these magic fluxuations, nor am I attempting to use it as an excuse to get rid of him, subconsciously or otherwise. There is something strange going on here," Severus said firmly.

"Well, I don't know what that's all about, Severus, but I do know it's not Quintin, and I'm not about to let you turn him into some sort of scapegoat for whatever problem you're having with your office," Jennifer said, finally shutting the wardrobe door. "Quintin is a talented yet normal baby, and I'd rather you not involve him in any of your speculations, because I know perfectly well that that's all this is." Severus frowned. "I am most certainly not in any sort of denial! And maybe I have a right to be defensive considering you have no sort of proof at all that Quintin has anything to do with this, do you?"

"No, I do not," Severus admitted. "However, it would be foolish to rule the possibility out considering that the evidence does point in that direction…"

"It doesn't as far as I'm concerned," Jennifer said curtly and the climbed into bed. Severus let out a silent sigh and snuffed the candles, knowing it'd be pointless to try and reason with Jennifer when she was on the defensive. Could he be wrong on this, he wondered to himself, mulling over any other possible conclusions. But the longer he lay there thinking about it, the more certain he became that his conclusions had been right from the beginning.


	16. Reckless

Chapter Sixteen

Reckless

The trees were filled with bats and the shadows filled with wolves when Rafe finally descended into the hollow. The dark smoky figures of his elders descended soon after, encircling him like a thick, veiling fog.

"We meet now before the fall of the moon because another one of your brothers have been taken from you," Rafe said, his voice barely above a whisper. "A reckless son, I know that well, and yet here I find myself questioning it, for it was not so long ago that Karolek fell from an Auror's wand.

"Now it is Bludovic who has fallen, and although I have yet to hear who is responsible for his death, I must ask myself this question. How is it that within the same hour I felt his passing I also learned that you, Wingard, had already managed to claim your brother's former territory?" Rafe demanded, his red eyes flashing as he stared into the shadows. It was not long before Foncé emerged after taking on his human form once more.

"When I heard the news of his passing, I knew I had to move quickly. I knew that one of the elder members of the Bridal Clan had a substantial claim to the east and she would have not hesitated in capturing it had she known our loss. Since my territory was the closest, I hurriedly established myself so that it would not fall to those who would surely attempt to use their position against us," Foncé explained calmly.

"How noble of you," Rafe said icily. "But that still does not explain to me how you found out about it in such a short time."

"It is because of the fact that the wizards who took our brother came out of Britain," Foncé said, several growls and murmurs of surprise sounding off behind him. "The same ones responsible for sending Karolek to his death as well. It would appear, Reverent Rafe, that the Ministry of Magic seeks to war against us."

"Do they?" Rafe snarled, the angry flash returning to his red eyes. "Has Potter tired of the game at last? Does he seek his death?"

"I do not think it is Potter, Father, for if it were he would seek us out himself," Foncé reasoned. "But I know of a wizard in the Ministry that never acts on his own behalf, and that it is he behind these recent attacks."

"Then say his name, and be done with it!" Rafe ordered.

"I would if I knew it, Father Rafe, but I do not. For I suspect that the person who is behind these attacks is the person they call the Minister of Mysteries. It is said that only the Minister of Magic and his top aids know his true identity. Even those who work under him work unawares of who he really is. That is why I suspect he is behind these attacks, and why the Ministry is so quick to deny them," Foncé said.

"I see," Rafe said. "But such games between mortals is meaningless, and we of the Sunset Dawn will not let our clansmen go unavenged. Go, find out who he is and bring him to me! If what you say is truth and you do as I will you to, perhaps you will find a way to redeem yourself in my eyes. Go, and do not return without the wizards responsible for this!"

"I understand, Reverent Father," Foncé said, bowing low enough that no one there caught the brief triumphant smile or the flash of vengeance haunting his eyes.

* * *

_ A statement from the International Wizards Council reveals that the Donnacht vampire clan, also known as the Clan of the Sunset Dawn, issued a complaint yesterday against the British Ministry of Magic, and more specifically towards the Ministry of Mysteries and the Auror departments, for "International Meddling due to a personal grievance with the clan" and ask that the other councils, ministries, and tribunals in Europe lodge similar complaints for their trespassing within their jurisdictions. The Ministry of Magic denies involvement in the deaths of both recent vampire deaths, despite contradicting statements from the incident in Belgium. The clan in question has also warned that any further actions by the Ministry against them would be construed as an act of war and would be treated as such._

"Vengeance before Death!" a large black raven squawked as it zoomed over the Slytherin table, forcing many of the students to duck.

"Well, it's about time," Maurice muttered, snatching the letter as Dewhurst zoomed past.

"Bow to the Craw! Craw Sees All!" Dewhurst squawked and then zoomed back out of the room.

"Does your father read the Meglomaniacs Club as well?" Max asked.

"He only read the first book to see what I was reading," Maurice said distractedly, glancing over the note. "It's just as I thought… the denial is real. My father knew nothing about this recent vampire attack any more than he knew about the other one, and he's positive that Potter and the Minister of Mysteries had nothing to do with it either. Someone must be intentionally trying to set them up… and if that last threat is any indication, start a war between the ministry and the Sunset Dawn."

"Things have been bad between them for years already though, haven't they? Since that business with Pyther?" Cain asked.

"Yes, and it's only become worse over time," Maurice mused, flipping through the paper until he came to an advertisement for dark wines, tapping it. "So why is it that the Marquis de Foncé seems to be carrying on business as usual?"

"Who knows, maybe he was paid the newspaper for the week," Garvan shrugged. "Besides, it isn't like he's ever really done anything, is it?"

"He's threatened my family on more than one occasion, including Alicia's children. If it does turn into a war, he will be one of the first to become an ash pile," Maurice said evenly.

"War? What sort of war?" said a voice that made everyone at the table jump. "At ease, men. What do you have here?" Bellamy asked, plucking the paper away and gazing at it. "Oh, you're referring to this piddle about these vampires whining about getting caught, are you? They're nothing to worry about, they're just a bunch of undead street thugs… definitely not an army and easy to dispose of. We'll be studying them in class today, so eat up so you have plenty of energy. I have a lot to cover so I'd rather you not spend all day watching you huff and puff around the Quidditch Pitch!"

"I don't suppose we could just skip that part since you have so much to cover?" Cain suggested.

"Negative, Mr. Hinge! You can't learn to protect yourself if you can't even see your own toes! And I'd check your shoes as well if I were you, Gamban… see you at fourteen hundred hours," Bellamy said before walking towards the staff room.

"I only wish we didn't have to see him for fourteen hundred hours," Max said ruefully.

"Interesting timing though, isn't it?" Maurice mused.

"It was one of the dark creatures that we were supposed to be studying this year," Garvan shrugged.

"True, but I bet we're not the only ones who are going to be hearing about this today," Maurice said.

_"Lumos solem!"_

Leu ended up rubbing his eyes to try and escape the flash of light, and was glad when he noticed that several others had done the same thing.

"You see? It's just an extension of the light spell you learned last week," Professor Weasley explained, demonstrating the wand movement again without saying the words. "And you'll find that the spell will come handy in al sorts of situations like fighting off…"

"Vampires?" Jimmy interrupted.

"Actually, I was thinking of Devil's Snare," Weasley said wryly. "Although it really isn't all that foolproof against more powerful vampires, but if you're especially talented in light charms you may be all right. Direct natural sunlight is always better in those sorts of cases. But it can work as a stun and a powerful blinding spell no matter who you cast it on. Everyone continue practicing the wand movements, please."

"Do you suppose we'll ever really have to use this for anything?" Noah whispered, diligently practicing the movements.

"I hope not. I'd rather not meet any sort of vampire. Do you suppose they could actually get into the castle?" Leu murmured back.

"Well, Pyther did, but then Pyther was let in, of course," Noah said. They paused when the Professor began going around the classroom. She asked each student to try the spell, some with more success than others. "There aren't many vampires like Mr. Pyther had been, though. Most of them are just fiends without souls, really… rather the opposite of us ghosts. That's all that's left of us."

"Quiet down boys. Let me see you try and cast it," Professor Weasley said. Noah and Leu quickly turned their attention to her, dutifully practicing the spell. The Professor watched their exaggerated movements carefully, studying their weak results with an approving nod. "Well, the execution was all right, but you were slow and need to put a big more power behind it. That will come with a bit of practice," she reassured them before moving on.

"Practice, nothing. I just didn't want to be blinded again," Leu admitted under his breath. Noah grinned at him.

"Oh, and if you don't mind, could I see you two in my office after class?" she added as an afterthought before watching Tanya again. Leu and Noah glanced at each other, wondering if they had spoken just a little too much. Deciding not to risk getting into any more trouble, the two of them stayed quiet through the rest of the lesson.

But when the rest of the classroom filed out at the end, Professor Weasley smiled in amusement at the two glum students who lingered behind.

"Let's go to my office. Don't worry, you're not in trouble or anything," Hermione reassured them. A tentative smile crept on their faces in such perfect synchronization that she had to shake her head with her smile. "I've been doing a bit of research on your behalf, Llewellyn…well, for both of you, really."

"Both of us?" Noah asked curiously, floating along behind Leu. They went a flight of stairs and over to an office just off the balcony both stepping in and looking around thoughtfully at the organized room filled with books stacked upon filing cabinets reaching all the way up to the ceiling. In fact, nearly every wall and corner of the office was stacked with books. There were only two exceptions; the fireplace mantle, which displayed photos both moving and stationary, and a small the corner by the desk, where hung the portrait of a crass looking witch with painfully tight bundled hair and stiff robes that were several generations removed from the latest Hogwarts fashions. She eyed them all warily when they came in, and Leu felt a strange prickling feeling as if she knew more about him than he would have liked her to know.

"I've been doing a bit of clever genealogy, if I do say so myself," Hermione explained, fingering through a huge book on the pedestal. "This is the school's student enrollment list. It has the name of every student up to the apprentices of the first founders. "Do you recognize the name Elizabeth Dolan?"

"Yes, that was my big sister's name," Noah said.

"And, of course, Farren Dering…"

"That was my mother's name before she got married," Leu said.

"Yes, I remembered her after I found the name. She went through Hogwarts not long after I had started teaching Charms here. She was quite brilliant, actually, a total overachiever who wanted to adventure the world," Hermione said, thinking back with a smile.

"She never got any farther than visiting Ireland. She met my father and decided he was enough of an adventure for her," Leu said somberly. Hermione chuckled.

"Love does have a way of changing one's plans," Hermione agreed.

"But how did you possibly guess she was my mother?" Leu asked.

"Well, partially because she was a Ravenclaw, and you rather look like her… but mostly because I asked Professor Craw," Hermione said with amusement.

"Oh."

"Anyhow, with a bit of digging from school records to find out who her parents were and a some help from Minister Plum, I was able to piece together that one of your great grandfathers was married to Noah's sister. Therefore, you are truly are related, albeit several generations removed," Hermione explained.

"I knew that," Noah said calmly.

"I didn't, even though many suspected it. How did you know?" Leu asked him.

"I'm not sure. I just knew," Noah said calmly.

"That does explain why there's such a close bond between the two of you. This isn't normal ghost behavior, you know," she said in a tone halfway between teasing and scolding. "Ever since you arrived, Noah has spent more time in the castle than he has in the boathouse."

"It's the rain," Noah explained soberly.

"The boathouse does leak something awful, Professor Weasley. I don't suppose there's anything you can do about it? He's not comfortable in there," Leu added.

"Oh, the boathouse! Well, it is on Carnegie's list somewhere as projects that need to be funded," Hermione said thoughtfully, pulling a file out of a cabinet and looking at it. "But it's definitely not a priority. There are a lot of other matters that need to be handled first, like a new barn and holding pen for Dr. Sagittari… I have an idea! The Owls haven't turned in a proposal for their annual goal yet, why don't you ask your order about it? I'm sure that'd be faster than waiting on us to get to it."

"But I'm not in the order. I turned it down because… well, I just didn't feel comfortable with it, that's all," Leu said.

"Oh, I see. Well, that is up to you, isn't it? It was only a suggestion. You do have a choice, after all, although honestly I think you're going to an awful lot of trouble trying to avoid making new friends, Llewellyn. Anyway, you should probably be off to your next class. Don't you have Commander Bellamy next?"

"Yes, Professor," Llewellyn said and took the offered cloth long enough to quickly shine his shoes. "Thank you, Professor."

"Anytime, Mr. Murphy. Oh, and if you need any more information, you might try the library. I'm sure if there is anything else on the Dolans or the Derings listed there, Boulderdash would know," Hermione hinted.

"Yes, Professor," Leu said with less enthusiasm, walking out of the room with Noah following close behind.

"It's all right, Leu, don't let what she said bother you," Noah said with a serious expression. "You don't have to worry about me, you know. I'm already dead, so the worrying part is over, really. Besides, I don't mind staying in the castle much. And I am glad to hear that the boathouse is on the professor's list of things to do. I don't mind waiting a decade or two if it means it gets done right."

Leu couldn't help but feel guilty after that, and after a brief inspection that he passed with flying colors, he spent his run mulling things over, wondering how he could possibly get out of his current dilemma and still help his best friend with his.

By the time the class was over, Leu had made up his mind. Sending Noah along to visit Myrtle, Leu shuffled over to the library. It was mostly vacant, for most of the students that were out of class that hour had gone to lunch instead. But Leu knew that was somewhat deceiving, and when the door swung open as he attempted to knock, he saw that several students were already sitting at the tables with their lunches.

"Hm? Oh, it's you," Boulderdash grunted when he looked up from his desk. "I wondered what that nervous smell was coming from. You might as well come in."

"Yes, come in, Leu! We Quidditch players have to stick together," Kim said with a wink.

"I'm just an alternate. You're the one who got on the team," Leu said, reluctantly taking a seat beside her.

"That's still pretty good for a first year," Ambrose pointed out. "At least you got to try out. I had to wait forever before I could play."

"Well, he almost had a spot in the regular team. Paula told me that Sand told her that he and Pimra considered putting him in a starting spot this year, but they had trouble judging him because he was on a school broom instead of his own. Do you have your own broom?" Kim asked with interest.

"I have a Phantom at home," Leu said.

"Wow! A Phantom! Hardly anybody has one of those yet, they only released a small number of them last year," Kim said, apparently impressed. "I'd like to borrow it sometime!"

"Well, you're not borrowing it because he's not allowed to have it here, and I'd rather he not break his neck on that thing anyhow," Lucky said grumpily. She sat at the end of the table with a stack of several rather thick books that had a strange, glossy sheen to their covers.

"You're just jealous because he can ride better than you," Kim taunted her.

"I'm not jealous of anything," Lucky said, trying to concentrate on her studies.

"Not even of all those college girls that are flirting endlessly with Dale right now?" Kim said, but quickly got up when Lucky scrambled to her feet.

"Lucky, don't! She didn't mean anything by it!" Connie said, holding onto her arm, while Lucky's face grew bright red.

"If you need to continue this disagreement, might I suggest we go to the gym? I've just finished repairing some very delicate scrolls and I'd rather they not be jostled or bumped into," Boulderdash suggested with a snarl.

"Sorry, Lucky. I was just teasing," Kim said sincerely. "Besides, I doubt he'd look twice at anyone else, really. He certainly didn't give Paula or myself a second thought, did he?"

"Yeah, but you're not college girls," Lucky retorted. She sat back down looking a bit deflated. "Anyhow, what did you want, Leu? You need some help with your classes?"

"No, actually, I think I'm doing all right," Leu said. "I was just wondering if you had figured out an Owl goal this year."

"We've thought of some, but nothing we've been able to get a majority of votes on yet," Ambrose said. "Got something in mind?"

"Yes. The boathouse," Leu said with a solemn expression. "Noah has been complaining that the roof leaks something awful when it rains."

"In other words, he just wants the ghost out of his bed," Kim snorted.

"Would you want to sleep with a ghost in your bed?" Gary challenged her.

"I think it'd be easier just to put another bed in there. And what is Dirk going to say about a proposal like that?"

"Dirk would say," began Dirk as he moved in from the doorway, "that the matter isn't worth debating considering it came from someone who feels he's too good to be a member of the order in the first place."

"That's enough, Dirk. You know that's not the reason," Lucky said, glaring at him.

"You would believe that, but his fellow classmates all believe that your brother here is a complete snob," Dirk said, taking his seat.

"And what are you, then?" Gary challenged him.

"Cautiously discriminating," Dirk said, Gary rolling his eyes in response. "If I were a snob, I wouldn't be in the order."

"Well, I was thinking about being in the order," Leu admitted.

"And what makes you think we'll let you in now that you've turned it down twice?" Dirk challenged him.

"Have you changed your vote then, Dirk?" Ambrose asked him.

"You voted for me?" Leu asked curiously.

"Originally, yes. Not only were you a Snape, but it was quite obvious from the first night that you could use a bit of guidance," Dirk explained. "You were the one who decided to turn your back on us and taking up with that ghost of yours so you don't have to deal with real students. What are you afraid of? That we won't live up to your expectations?"

"I'm not afraid of… I'm not afraid of anything!" Leu snapped.

"Dirk, that's enough. Lay off of him…"  
"I'll do no such thing, Lucky. Can't you see all the coddling that you and Professor Craw have been doing are making things worse? He's gone from one extreme to another… instead of people expecting more out of him than he could give, people now expect nothing at all out of him in hopes that he'll 'come out of it.' The problem is that he's so used to taking orders he can't think for himself anymore, despite the fact he obviously fears he might get put in a similar situation of what he went through with the goblins. Let him take his own knocks, Lucky, maybe then he'll figure out that he can't solve his problems by avoiding them. Stalling might be a good short-term strategy to catch one's breath, Leu, but if you wait too long your problems are just going to pile up until you're crushed. Do you really want to be crushed?" Dirk asked Leu point blank.

"That was exactly what I was trying to avoid," Leu mumbled.

"Yes, I know. I tried that tactic once myself," Dirk said, and Leu saw a sympathetic look in the boy's gaze that he hadn't before. "But the only way to really stop from getting crushed is to realize that the only person who can determine what's best for you is you. Not your friends, not your parents, not even the school. You shouldn't let anybody else try to tell you what's best, because they can't possibly know. Nobody owns you, Leu."

Leu stared at Dirk's firm gaze for a moment, feeling as if he had just been hit.

"I know that," Leu said coolly. "But everyone has obligations to those who…"

"Leu!" Dirk snapped again, grabbing his shoulders. "Nobody owns you!"

The room grew very quiet, and Leu was suddenly aware that everyone present was watching the exchange. Shrinking back a bit, Leu finally managed to squirm his way into a chair.

"Lucky, don't you dare go over there, you'll only end up making it worse. Someone fetch Leu's Owl Goals out of his box. I have a feeling that no matter what is written in there, he's got a lot of work to do… first and foremost being to decide whether he really wants to do them at all," Dirk said.

"Been there, done that," Lucky snorted softly. Dirk relaxed then, realizing now that she understood. Nodding slightly, he took the goal list from Ronnie and set it in front of Leu.

"There's the list, so you're in, I suppose. Make of it what you will. I'm going to head to class."

"So if he's in, does that mean you're all right with the boathouse being our project this year?" Ambrose asked before he could get out the door.

"Fine, but I'm going to be in charge of how the fundraising is handled this time," Dirk said.

"Okay by me. I got enough to deal with worrying about entrance exams coming up," Lucky said, gladly washing her hands of it.

"Good," Dirk said with another curt nod before he slipped out the door.

"I suppose we'd better spend the rest of the time we have going over the order rules and how these goals work," Ambrose decided, sitting down by Leu.

Feeling embarrassed and quiet awkward after what had just happened, Leu turned Ambrose, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Boulderdash was no longer there. A bit relieved but wondering how much the goblin heard, Leu had trouble concentrating on what Ambrose was saying. After having it repeated a second time, they dashed off to class in hopes to beat the cloak.

Dirk, however, arrived at his class calm and collect, as any Slytherin prefect and Head Boy should have. After getting praise from Craw for a perfect score on a recent potions test (that also earned him a respectable amount of glowering looks from other students), Dirk slipped down the corridor, completely missing the fact that Professor Claw shook her head at him as he left. Slipping into the secret passages as quick as he could, despite the fact that Bindy was yelling at him to wait up. But Dirk knew those passages better than she did and in not time gave her the slip, stepping out into one of the back corridors that students took to get from the greenhouses to the library.

It wasn't more than a minute or two before he saw Helena and Pimra walking down the hall together. Several other students walking in front of them made a point to give him a wide berth, but the two girls only looked over at him curiously. Helena excused herself and walked over to him.

"You need something?" Helena asked.

"Yes, can you cover for me tonight? I'm on halls…"

"Again? This is the second time this week."

"No it isn't. It's the start of a new week now…"

"The second time in seven days then," Helena said, shaking her head. "I suppose you want me to run interference with Bindy as well?"

"Well, yes, if you don't mind," Dirk murmured. Helena gazed steadily at him. "You know what she'd do if she ever found out." Helena sighed.

"Okay, fine, but this is the last time until the Hogsmeade trip, so I suggest you let her know not to expect you again."

"Understood," Dirk said and stepped back. He waited for the two girls to pass before digging his heal into an engraved stone in the floor and slipping into the sliding panel.

Quickly he cut through the passages and came out in the hall with the one-eyed witch within five minutes, and in less than one minute on his way out of the castle. It wasn't long before the tunnel grew rugged; Maurice wasn't exaggerating when he complained that the tunnel was starting to deteriorate. But it was still by far the best way to get out of the castle discretely…even if the end of the tunnel posed some problems at times, because the cellar wasn't always unoccupied. Sure enough, as he was opening the trap door into Honeydukes' cellar, he happened to smell something sweet and saw a large woman leaning over a bubbling cauldron. But when he tried to slip back down out of sight, the hinges of the trap door creaked loudly.

"Is that you, Mr. Craw?" Fiona Flume asked outright, turning around to face the uneven floorboards. Reluctantly, Dirk opened the door again. "Oh, Mr. Atchison, I wasn't expecting you back already. But never mind! You'll do! Come and taste this for me. Right over here, now."

"Yes'm," Dirk said with a sigh and climbed into the room while Fiona was busy trying to cool off a bit of the mixture on the wooden spoon.

"Here we are! Tell me what you think of it," Fiona said, holding it out for him to try. Dirk tasted the pink liquid thoughtfully.

"Is it strawberry fudge?" Dirk asked. "A bit thin, isn't it?"

"It's something new I'm developing," Fiona said, looking pleased. "My own line of candy bars. They are like chocolate bars, only different flavors. Strawberry, orange, peppermint, pumpkin… all sorts as you please! I'm simply trying to get the temperature right so they'll set proper."

"Sounds good. Will they come with cards?" Dirk asked.

"Cards?" Fiona said indignantly. "I don't need some sort of cheap gimmick to sell candy _I_ make, Mr. Atchison. _My_ candy can stand on its own without it."

"Well, yes, but still, when you're making a new product like this, it does help if it stands out somehow so people are willing to try it," Dirk said. "I've got an idea, and one that can help you and the school out at the same time."

"Oh? I'm listening," Fiona said, getting another spoon out so she would have one to lick as well.

"Test marketing. Make a variety of your cream bars that you want to try out, and the Owls can sell them at the school. Set a price you'd like for each bar, and we'll add a sickle or two more to help pay for the boathouse repairs we're working on this year. Then we'll turn the money and what's left in and you'll be able to tell which bars sell the best and which ones don't go over so well."

"And what if none of them go over so well?" Fiona asked.

"Well, then you've saved yourself the expense of making a bulk of them for the store that no one will buy, plus save your reputation as a candy maker," Dirk concluded.

"It's my father's reputation rather than mine that supports Honeydukes, Mr. Atchison, I'm just an enthusiast… well, obviously," she said, chuckling at herself. "Very well! It sounds like a fair plan to me! When do you want them by?"

"How about when the school comes to Hogsmeade for a visit in a few weeks?" Dirk suggested. "Would that be enough time?"

"I should think so. Much obliged, Mr. Atchison," she said cheerfully. "Oh! And here, this is for you and your friend. We can't have you leaving the shop empty handed. People might talk."

"The last thing I need right now is anyone to talk," Dirk said dryly, accepting the two bags and then thanking her politely before slipping out into the street.

It was getting close to dinnertime, as the smells coming from different houses and shops reminded him. Popping some taffy to tide him over, Dirk then worked his way over to the alchemist shop, cautiously peeking inside. Nancy was standing on the customer's side of the counter, apparently talking to the alchemist about something concerning work, but she didn't seem to be wearing her apron. Dirk waited outside, trying to look inconspicuous until she finally came out, intent on getting home as quickly as possible. Dirk hurried to catch up until she came up beside her, matching her steps in a way that made her jump when she noticed him.

"Oh, it's you! What are you doing here?" Nancy said with exasperation.

"You said you were getting off early tonight, so I thought I'd come visit," Dirk said.

"I didn't mention that to try to get you to visit!" Nancy said, glancing to see who was around before the two of them cut across a yard towards Haven's Row. "It was meant as a warning. Didn't you hear about the vampires in the paper?"

"They were _in_ the paper? That must have been hard to weave together…"

"What? Oh, stop that, I'm serious!" Nancy scowled, slapping him in the arm. "They're furious at the Ministry, and now everyone in town is recommending that folks head home or close up early. That vampire in town is supposedly in the same clan as the ones that are angry."

"No supposedly about it. I'm quite certain he's in the same clan," Dirk said. "But you don't need to worry about it. It isn't as if they're after you personally, is it?"

"Maybe not, but I'm certainly not going to put myself in a situation where I can be his next victim either," Nancy said. "And that includes not staying out after dark. You should probably go back to the school too…"

"I've known how to handle vampires since I was in my third year, Nancy, you don't have to worry about that," Dirk sighed. "Besides, things are really not as bad as the paper makes them out to be, you know. It's all political mumbo jumbo that holds little weight considering both the vampires who died had extensive warrants on them. Their threats prove that the Ministry is succeeding in rattling them, and that's all. Besides, I thought you said they taught you basic defense at Haven's Ridge."

"Well, yes, some, although it's a part of our potion usage classes," Nancy admitted. "And honestly, we haven't even touched potions this term yet. We've been too busy studying for entrance exams."

"You as well? That's all Lucky Snape seems to be doing these days is studying for those silly college tests."

"They're not silly, they're important… at least they are to us. Don't you have any sort of placement tests?"

"Well, yes, although there aren't any colleges to speak of, although some do need special training after graduation if they want to go into certain fields. Not that I'd ever want to. Personally, I can't wait to get out. The sooner I graduate, the sooner I can get away from my parents. Then we can move somewhere remote where they won't follow us, like Madagascar or something," Dirk said dryly.

"Are you sure they won't just learn to accept it? Maybe if you just explained it to them…"

"It won't work, Nancy. You didn't see how angry my father was when Bindy 'slipped' and told him I had a Muggle pen pal. He'd never accept it," Dirk said with a sigh, glancing up at the red and purple sky without really seeing it.

"I don't see what he has to be worried about. If anything, I would have thought that my family had more reason to disapprove than yours, considering that you have powers that I don't," Nancy said.

"Any powers that I have are nothing compared to the power of your eyes," Dirk said solemnly. Nancy blushed right red.

"Or the power of your words," she said quietly.

"They're nothing compared to your beauty," he insisted.

"Oh, stop!" she protested with an embarrassed chuckle.

"How about… Argentina?" he suggested. Nancy rolled her eyes and began walking. "Brazil? Chile? Hm, what's a country beginning with D? Denmark! Wait, that's too close…"

"I am going to school in Edinburgh so I can still be relatively close to my family," Nancy said, glancing sideways to make sure he was following.

"But that's too close to my family," Dirk complained.

"You're going to have to face them sooner or later. There's no good in running," Nancy said. Dirk thought about it for a moment.

"You're right. My father isn't the sort that can be run away from," Dirk said with such a haunted expression that Nancy shivered. Dirk glanced around as if suddenly aware of her. "Hm? Oh, it's sprinkling again, isn't it? And it is getting cold… I had best be getting you home."

"I suppose, though I am worried about you having to walk alone in the dark with that vampire business going on…"

"I am perfectly safe," Dirk reassured her. "Let's just get you back, and I promise I'll go straight to the castle. I have homework to do too, you know. I still have every intention of trying to get first in my class this year."

"What? Against Ambrose?" Nancy said.

"Yes, against Ambrose," Dirk said defensively, apparently ruffled by the challenge in her voice. "I'm tired of being second in my best subjects and fourth in my worst."

"You'll always be first to me," Nancy reassured him, wrapping her arm around his as they walked down Haven's Row.

Just then they noticed a lantern on one of the porches. Nancy quickly picked up the pace when she noticed her father standing there, peering out at them.

"So this is what kept you. I was worrying about the hour, but I see now I shouldn't have worried," Mr. Parker said, glancing at Dirk who nodded politely.

"Sorry, Dad," Nancy said, hurrying onto the porch.

"I know the goings on must startle you as much as it does us, Mr. Atchison, and I'm glad for your assistance, but if she came straight home, there'd be little enough reason to worry. Nancy, it isn't fair for you to obligate your beau like this when he's bound to get in trouble for being out of the castle, especially at this hour," he scolded them.

"It was my fault, Mr. Parker, but I promise I will wait until the next Hogsmeade trip to visit as long as Nancy promises to be careful," Dirk said cordially. "She's too daring for her own good." Nancy blinked at him.

"Yes, that she is," Mr. Parker acknowledged. "Come along, Nancy, best not keep him any longer. Thank you and good night, Mr. Atchison. Watch your back, now."

"Don't worry, Mr. Parker. I'll be cautious," Dirk said, getting out his wand.

"Mind that you Owl her when you get back so she'll get enough sleep for her tests in the morning. Come, Nancy, time to head in. Good night."

"Good night," Dirk said, nodding again before turning back down the row.

At least her parents seemed to like him, he mused as he wandered down the street. Or was it simply that they feared what might happen if they didn't allow it? They seemed quite shaken about that silly vampire business… but then, how much did they understand about that?

He was so busy pondering those questions that he almost forgot his promise to be cautious… until he saw two dark cloaked figures standing in the middle of the street. They were both standing in front of a brick wall with wands in their folded arms, staring at it as if attempting to look through it. Cautiously he cast Death Shroud on himself, feeling the prickling, cooling sensation as the spell worked to mask his warm blooded nature. He slipped around the building across the street from where they stood, creeping up to the very edge so he could see and hear them without being seen.

"Are you certain this is the right place?" a cool voice asked. The voice had an accent, but it was so faint that Dirk was uncertain of its origin.

"Of course I'm sure!" a gruffer, deeper voice snapped. "How many buildings do you know of that have four brick walls with no entrances? Why don't you use one of those old dark spells you claim to have and help me find a way around it?"

"Those spells are designed to destroy mortals, not buildings," the other hissed. "Besides, if I am not mistaken, this is the work of an ancient spell."

"Then he is going to have to be here himself. I don't care _how_ inconvenient it is for him," he growled.

"This entire plan seems a waste of time, agreement or not. There are other things we could be doing that are much more productive," the other said quietly.

"We need him to cooperate."

"There are easier ways to make him cooperate. Permanent ways," he added pointedly.

"Perhaps, but this is not the time or the place. Let us head back to the stables."

"We could go to my place. It is much closer…"

"Do not mistake me for a fool! I trust you no more than I do any of the others."

"We are in agreement, at least, on that point. After you?"

Dirk ducked back a bit more as the two men Apparated, puzzling over what he had heard. Little of it made sense, other than the fact that these two wizards had attempted to break into Toby's and had little luck of doing so. And who were the others he spoke of? Pondering it as he hurried to Honeydukes and as he walked thru the tunnel, Dirk began to wonder who he could tell about it without bringing up uncomfortable questions that he was not prepared to answer. Well, at least one person needed to know, Dirk decided.

The next morning he got up early so he could track down Ambrose in the halls, and the two of them walked out into the empty courtyard and over to the fountain.

"It was all rather odd. They were obviously not having any luck in breaking your father's spells, Ambrose, and in some ways they behaved as if they really didn't want to be there at all, let alone in each other's company. I have no idea what it was all about, but I thought you ought to know at least," Dirk explained.

"I am glad you told me, and I'll be sure to mention it to my father when he comes back," Ambrose said solemnly. "But I do think it's alright… nobody can get into that shop while my father is away except me, and even if they did get in, they wouldn't find much, certainly nothing worth stealing."

"Do you have any idea yet when your father is coming back?" Dirk asked.

"No, not really. I know he was hoping to get back before Christmas, but he also warned he might get delayed, so I know better than to expect it," Ambrose said.

"Well, I hope he does arrive back on time. Things get so dull when he's not around, last night excluded," Dirk said.

"Thanks," Ambrose said, and the two went back in. But with tests on the horizon, Ambrose pushed any thoughts he had on the affair aside, and before too many days had passed had practically forgotten about the incident all together.


	17. Family Politics

Chapter Seventeen

Family Politics

Despite the especially rainy season, the soft weather did little to dampen the spirits of the students as everyone began getting back into the swing of things. Quidditch practice was ongoing, and there was plenty of anticipation for the first game the day before Halloween. The football teams, rained off the field, made the best of it by doing warm-ups and repetitions in the indoor gym while several other students used one of the far corners to practice their sparring forms. Leu, although practicing well at Quidditch, was finding that he wasn't that much of a natural at sparring, despite how hard he tried.

"Don't worry, Leu. If you really want to drop it, I'm sure our father will let you practice with Librarian Boulderdash every day," Andrew had once murmured to him after a particularly rough set. Just as Andrew had hoped, Leu was quick to respond to it by getting up and making up his lack of natural talent by simply giving his full effort.

Lucky spent her all her time inside studying, but she soon found that extra work had some drawbacks she hadn't expected. After a particularly rough test in Potions in which she blamed constant headaches for her bad mark, she found herself in Dr. Sagittari's office and a curious lens with a candle behind it shining in her eyes.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" Sagittari asked solemnly.

"Please tell me I don't need glasses," Lucky moaned. Sagittari smiled.

"Very well. You don't need glasses," Sagittari said. He patted her shoulder comfortingly before glancing over at Jennifer. "Your daughter has a very bad case of eye strain, brought on, I think, by all of the studying she's been doing without taking the breaks needed for her eyes to rest from the intense focus."

"Of all my children, Lucky, you are the one I'd have thought least likely to be accused of studying too much," Jennifer said with exasperation.

"But my entrance exams are next month!" Lucky protested.

"You won't do well on them if you're seeing double and having headaches that make you beg for potions you really shouldn't be having at your age," Sagittari said. "I want you to minimize your studying to only what is absolutely necessary for the next few days. Use a dictation pen in classes that allow it, and this weekend I don't want you to crack open one single book before Sunday evening. I'll check on you again Monday morning to make certain you follow those instructions."

"But this will be the first weekend I'll get to see Mr. Singh since school started, and the last time I see him before entrance exams!" Lucky complained.

"I have a feeling once he hears what the circumstances are, he'll agree with us that you'd be better off rested and ready to go rather than all of this constant cramming you've been doing," Jennifer scolded. "And honestly, Lucky, as much as I applaud your efforts on picking up material Hogwarts doesn't really cover, if you don't have what it takes to pass those tests at this point, I'm not sure another month of this is going to do you any good. And I know the rain is partially to blame, and yes, Dale's absence too, but I agree with Sagittari that you're trying to take too much on right now. I'm going to discuss your situation with your other teachers so that they're made aware of it; not that I expect them to let you get out of any homework, but I know that some of them are always looking for an excuse to get in some hands-on wizardry rather than being stuck to the books and would welcome the opportunity."

"Perhaps we had best inform Librarian Boulderdash as well," Sagittari suggested. Lucky gave him a dirty look.

"Yes, I should think that's a definite must, since he is her advisor also," Jennifer readily agreed.

"And no more headache potions. Your body is trying to tell you something, and it is high time that you learned how to listen," Sagittari said.

"Yes, doctor," Lucky sighed.

"Very well, you may go," Sagittari said, quickly writing her a pass.

Sagittari and Jennifer watched as she walked out of the hut and shuffled back to the castle, taking advantage of the tardy pass by having a less than normal pace to her step.

"She has come a long way in seven years," Sagittari said after she was well out of range.

"That she has," Jennifer chuckled softly. "They all have, really, even Ambrose."

"Oh, undoubtedly," Sagittari agreed, putting away his tools. "And we have changed because of them." Jennifer thought about it a moment, then smiled.

"Well, that's part of the fun of this job, isn't it?" Jennifer said. "Thank you, doctor."

"Of course," Sagittari said, thoughtfully watching her go before he began looking over homework once more.

* * *

Garvan let out a silent sigh as they passed though another prison gate to find Mr. Hinge standing there, waiting for him and his father.

"Good morning," Garvan's father said. Hinge nodded solemnly back. "Brilliant day outside today, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't know," Hinge said evenly, turning to lead them down the hall. "And how is school, Mr. Gamban?"

"Doing well, thanks. So is Cain, although he hates Defense this year," he added for good measure.

"Yes, I heard about Bellamy, but I think the discipline will do you boys some good. Perhaps it'll be enough to keep all of you out of here," Hinge added with a scowl.

"But if there weren't any criminals, wouldn't you be out of a job?" Garvan challenged him, his father nudging him disapprovingly.

"It'd give us a chance to lock up all the counselors instead," Hinge growled. "I know a few of those who have more than earned a cell in my opinion."

Although his father was quick to chuckle the comment off, Garvan couldn't help but wonder if Mr. Jeffers was one of the counselors who had been getting on the guard's nerves. His father had mentioned that the solicitor had been pressing hard for prison reforms that weren't likely to go over well with whoever it was that was actually running the place.

Hinge opened the door of the visitor's room to let them in, pausing in surprise when he saw that the prisoner was already waiting on the other side of the barrier with his hands folded together. Another guard was leaning against the wall.

"What are you doing here?" Hinge scowled at Boltin. "He's in _my_ wing."

"The Warden wants an extra pair of eyes on conferences involving juveniles for safety reasons, so I thought I'd save you a bit of work finding someone else," Boltin said cordially. "Besides, I needed his expert opinion on our chances at the World Cup this year."

"Dismal, quite dismal," Ludo admitted somberly. "But perhaps things are looking up. Where is my grandson?" Garvan stepped in and gave him a nervous smile, his father coming in right after him and doing his best to ignore the seething Hinge who was glaring at the mild mannered guard standing on the other side of the barrier.

"Right here, Grandfather. You're looking well!" Garvan added with enthusiasm.

"He's right, Father. You've lost a bit of weight, haven't you?" Peter agreed.

"Indeed I have, thanks to Mr. Jeffers' valiant efforts. The doctors here seem pleased with my progress, although I've still a long road ahead of me… proof positive that prison is no excuse to let oneself go," Ludo said cheerfully, ignoring the soft, deep groan that had come from Hinge's direction. Instead, he leaned over towards the barrier. "I'm now lobbying for an exercise gym," he confided with a wink.

"The idea has some merits," Boltin ventured. "It'd be easier to secure than the yard, although finding equipment that a creative prisoner can't use against us would be a challenge."

"Then don't let the 'creative' ones use it," Peter advised.

"In which case, your father would never get to use it," Boltin pointed out.

"Thank you, but I assure you that my only interest in such a facility would be to get myself back in shape," Ludo said. Hinge gazed at him dubiously.

"I'm not quite sure the Warden truly believes that, but I suppose we'll have to wait and see how the politics play out on that one. That said, considering how little time you have you spend with your grandson, perhaps you should concentrate on that for now," Boltin advised.

"I quite agree. No more politics, Father. I'd rather you not get political around Garvan anyway," Peter said firmly.

"Since our views don't completely coincide, is that it?" Ludo challenged his son.

"I simply want to make certain that Garvan has plenty of opportunities to make his own mind up about things," Peter said. "That includes whether or not he wants to come visit you at all."

"I did want to visit. I thought you'd want to know that we have a smashing Quidditch team this year," Garvan said. "We have a good chance at the cup, especially since Ravenclaw hasn't got a chance."

"Really? What's the other competition like?" Ludo asked with more enthusiasm.

"Well, Gryffindor is still going to be tough, but we should be able to handle Hufflepuff without too much trouble," Garvan decided.

"Splendid, splendid. And how is that order of yours? The one you're in with the Craw boy…"

"Father, no politics…"

"I have every right to inquire about his friendships if I like. I'm sure you inquire about them often enough," Ludo retorted. "Besides, I was asking about the order, not the boy."

"The Order of the Owls is working on fixing the boathouse this year, and maybe the docks as well if we get enough coin for it. We're going to be selling a new line of candy Honeydukes is making specifically for us. We're picking it up today at Hogsmeade."

"What, Hogsmeade already? Oh, and here it is your first trip with the school and you are spending the morning visiting your grandfather!" Ludo scolded, although his thin smile betrayed how pleased he was.

"Well, there are going to be several trips there this year, and I don't often have a chance to visit you," Garvan reasoned. "Besides, there's nothing there that can't wait, especially since Mr. Toby isn't expected back until Christmas or later."

"Really? Where has he gone?" Ludo asked.

"Supply shopping, I think. No one knows exactly where, but considering the sorts of things that he carries in his shop, he probably has to travel the world twice over to stock it," Garvan said.

"And until then his shop will just look like a brick wall, I suppose," Ludo said.

"Yes, to most people at least. Ambrose always sees it, being his son and all," Garvan explained. Ludo gazed at him with fascination. "Was there something in particular that you wanted in there?"

"Not at all, dear boy. I was just following the conversation," Ludo chuckled. "I never got to see that shop. I've been in here since before it first opened. But I would like some of that new candy you're going to be selling for the school, if you can get it back this far, that is," he added dryly.

"I doubt the Warden would have any objections, although I can't say it'd do much for that strict diet you're supposed to be on," Boltin reminded him.

"All for a good cause, after all, sir! We must encourage these enterprising young students in their enthusiastic fund raising endeavors, even if it does help those dratted book-burning Snapes…"

"Father, no politics," Peter sighed again.

"That wasn't politics, it was simply a personal opinion," Ludo said, and then glanced between his son and the two guards who were all eyeing him skeptically. "Send me two of each, and send your father the bill. Oh, and write more! Now that I can finally reach the floor on my own, it would be nice to have something worthwhile to pick up!"

"Yes, grandfather, I'll try to write more," Garvan said. "Especially after we win games."

"That's the spirit!" Ludo said.

"I should be getting him to Hogsmeade. I shall try to catch up with you later when Mr. Jeffers comes around," Peter said.

"What makes you think we'll let you back in again? You already had your visit," Hinge scowled.

"That one will be more political," Peter explained to Hinge, who scowled in disapproval at him before opening the door and escorting them out.

* * *

Lucky had no more gotten off the bus and glanced around to reorient herself when a hand came up over her eyes. Immediately she reacted, and Dale found himself thrown to the ground in front of her with his face thrown against the cobblestone.

"Ouch, I guess that was stupid of me," Dale said, his chuckle dying when he turned over to find a dagger pointed at his nose and her wand arm pulled back, ready to strike. "Real, real stupid," he added uncertainly. Recognition had taken hold, and Lucky had lowered her arms.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lucky demanded.

"I came to see you, of course. I was worried about you," Dale said. Lucky squinted at him suspiciously. "Well, you did stop writing all of the sudden, and then I heard you were sick…"

"What? I'm not… wait a minute, how come that smells like Jackie nosing in?" Lucky squinted, putting her dagger and wand away. Dale grimaced but hid his initial reaction by getting to his feet.

"Well, if you must know, my mother phoned and told me she got an Owl from Professor Craw. And yes, she did mention that you had a recent visit to the doctor and was asked to take it easy this weekend," Dale admitted.

"Yeah, take it easy from studying," Lucky amended, Dale gazing at her curiously. "I'm suffering from eye strain. Man, I can't believe she pulled that…"

"Wait a minute, Lucky. Professor Craw might have wrote my mother about it, but I also wouldn't put it past my mother to omit things," Dale said, chuckling and shaking his head. "At least in the process I found out it was a Hogsmeade weekend, and I did want to find out why exactly you stopped writing."

"Why I stopped writing? How come you never wrote me?" Lucky demanded, walking further down the street away from several third year girls who had stopped to gawk at Dale.

"Actually, I thought you were mad at me, so I was kind of trying to figure out what I did," Dale said, gazing at her intently. "So are you?"

"Yeah, because you never write!" Lucky snapped, storming down the street.

"What? Hey, wait up," Dale complained, quickly turning the corner before he lost sight of her. "Where are you going? Hold on a minute, don't be like that," Dale insisted, grabbing her arm and holding firmly to it even when she tried to shrug him off. "I promise to write more if you're sure that's all you're angry about. You just have no idea how crazy my schedule's been like between classes and rowing and all."

"Yeah, and I bet 'by all' you probably mean all the girls that have been playing up to you," Lucky challenged him.

"Oh, well, that was a headache at first, but fortunately it's worn off for the most part. It also helps there aren't many girls taking the same classes that I do. Most of them aren't into sound engineering," Dale chuckled. But Lucky simply folded her arms and refused to look at him. "You're the only girl I've ever really wanted to be with since the moment I laid eyes on you. Do you really think that's going to change when I'm surrounded by a bunch of cotton headed college freshmen who bought into my built-up public image and think that's who I am? I thought you knew me better than that. I love you, Marie," he murmured, cautiously coming up behind her. "And being apart for one measly year isn't going to change that. I just wish I knew how I could get you to trust me a little more."

"It's those college girls I don't trust," Lucky scowled. Dale came over in front of her and unfolded her arms, taking her hands.

"Well, Marie, as they say it takes two to tango, but I'd prefer to just salsa with you," Dale said sincerely. Lucky began to blush fiercely, and with a smug look for putting her off her guard, Dale leaned down and kissed her.

"Snapes should _not_ be making public displays," said a cool voice behind them. Lucky grimaced sheepishly and peered around Dale. "That goes for potential relatives as well," Maurice added, his gaze shifting to Dale.

"Sorry, Uncle Maurice," Lucky said.

"You're right, Uncle Maurice, we'll be more discreet," Dale promised. "We have a family reputation to keep, after all."

"That's better," the boy said with a prim nod before continuing down the street. Lucky turned and slapped Dale's shoulder.

"What?" Dale said in surprise.

"What's this "we" stuff and "Uncle Maurice" stuff?" Lucky scowled at him. Dale chuckled.

"Oh, that. I was just trying to be diplomatic, Marie. After all, he could be right you know. I may be family someday…"

"College before marriage," Lucky glowered.

"And I totally respect that and agree with you," Dale assured her.

"But if I held out on you 'til we got married, you'd change your mind about that, wouldn't you?" Lucky challenged him.

"Well… yeah," Dale said with a silly grin on his face. Lucky rolled her eyes and began walking down the street. "Wait, you were joking, right?"

"Come on. I need to check in with my tutor," Lucky said.

"Sure, no problem. So were you joking?" Dale asked, but Lucky decided it would be fun to watch him sweat for a while and kept walking towards the Pig's Pannage.

The Pannage was filled with wisps of smoke, a sure sign that the local patrons had shown up early that day. At the edge of the bar in sight of both doors sat Rinan Scur with a cane at his side and a sloppy egg and chutney sandwich in hand as he made notes on an old parchment while Brogan looked on with interest. And on the far end sat a well-dressed dark-skinned man with a thin but handsome face, his dark, somewhat beady eyes intent on Maurice Craw as the two of them exchanged several books as well as a pair of journals with identical covers.

"Don't tell me you're tutoring him as well?" Lucky asked in disbelief. Earham looked up with a smile, while Maurice frowned at her warily and covered the titles of the books on the bar.

"Not at all, he simply consults me about a hobby of his. This will only take a minute or two, Maurice," Earham said.

"Sure," Maurice said, still watching them carefully until they sat down in a booth.

"I'm under strict orders not to get into any heavy details about your work, Miss Snape, so I am simply going to collect it for now and give you a list of test examples to work out… but not until the doctor has given you leave, of course," Earham said with a strange smile. In fact, somehow it made Lucky think of the way Boulderdash sneered when he was amused by something… a sharp reminder that Earham was anything but human. "Once I've gone over your work, I'm going to give you a mock-up of the test you'll be getting, but putting emphasis on your weak areas so we can come up with a strategy to see you thru them during the actual test."

"Right," Lucky sighed.

"Don't worry about it, Marie, you'll do fine. Really, the exam won't be as bad as you're thinking it'll be," Dale said.

"Oh? And how are you doing at college, Mr. Chance?" Earham asked.

"Well, actually, it's been a little rough," Dale admitted with a chuckle. "I got carried away and took on more classes and activities than I probably should have."

"A common mistake," Earham agreed. "But I hope to have Miss Snape more prepared."

"Thanks, Mr. Singh," Lucky said, but couldn't help but sigh at the list he had handed her.

"At your service, Miss Snape," Earham said cordially. "Mr. Chance, would you be so kind as to make sure the lady follows the doctor's advice and takes the day off to relax away from the books?"

"Yes, sir. I'll definitely try my best," Dale said.

"Thank you. Allow me to send over some drinks while I attend my other guest," Earham said.

"Thanks," Dale replied with a smile, shifting into the seat across from Lucky when he returned to the bar. "Nice old chap."

"He has his shifty side, but he's okay… he's been a decent tutor," Lucky said. "And he's been helping me learn Goblinish too. Boulderdash only teaches me the proper words for everything, and I noticed that when Ike uses a colorful word I haven't heard of, Earsinge is less likely to turn green when I ask what it means." Dale chuckled about that.

"So who gave you the dagger?" he asked.

"Oh, Boulderdash gave me that as a gift last Christmas to replace the one he let me borrow for training. He and his brother made it for me," Lucky said, taking it out of her boot and putting it on the table. It was slender with a strange polish on it; the reflections in the surface looked shadowed even when held up to the light.

"And what does this mean?" Dale asked, pointing to the line of etched characters on one side of the blade.

"It means strength, courage, and respect," Lucky said solemnly. Dale nodded and smiled in approval. "Boulderdash told me it's the first and only dagger the two of them have crafted together since their father died forty years ago."

"Wow," Dale said. He paused to grab his coffee from Brogan's tray, Lucky doing the same.

"They even gave it a name, though it isn't marked on the dagger anywhere. They call it Irony, first because they made it hoping I'd never have to use it, and second because a pair of pacifists crafted it, and last but not least, because Boulderdash thinks that sometimes the only way to have peace is to fight for it," Lucky said growing thoughtful. "You know, it sometimes amazes me just how much I have in common with all my goblin friends… yeah, there are cultural differences, but I have cultural differences with most the people living here. I just don't get why some people are so hard on them… so they look different than us and their magic doesn't work the same. They're still intelligent people who are trying to make their way in the world the best they can, just like we are."

"Some people don't see that, Lucky… and there are some that just don't want to see it. They feel safer keeping them at a distance," Dale said.

"Well, it's silly, if you ask me. Especially since the last war with goblins was hundreds of years ago. It seems like a long time to hold a grudge," Lucky said, sipping her drink.

"I quite agree," Dale said, taking another sip himself. "So what stores do you want to hit today?"

They were still coddling their coffees and were working on a plan of action when the door opened and three wizards in dark business robes walked in together, all of which Lucky recognized at once.

"Good lord, they're in here as well," Abraxus said with exasperation, tossing a quick but annoyed glance at Lucky and Maurice.

"Never mind, Abraxus, at least the Pannage attracts more exclusive clientele," Kris Atchison said.

"Except for the trash at the bar," Damon Platt murmured. Despite the lowered tone, it was loud enough to cause Scur to choke on his sandwich in surprise.

"He was referring to me," Earham explained calmly, not looking up from his tea. He kept a firm hand on Maurice's shoulder to keep the boy from standing up as they passed them.

"We'd like to use the room in the back if it's unoccupied," Atchison said, Brogan nodding to him in response. "But please let me know if my son comes in, it'll save me the trouble of hunting him down later."

"Oh yes, and Beth and Donald as well," Abraxus agreed.

"I'll see to it," Brogan agreed, following them to the back to get their orders. Lucky watched them until the door finally shut.

"This is not good," Lucky said, putting some money on the table and smacking Dale's hand away when he tried to do the same.

"What isn't good?" Dale asked.

"We need to go warn Dirk that his father is here," Lucky explained getting up.

"You mean they finally… that is you mean he came to terms with certain things?" Dale asked, quickly handing over her coat.

"Yeah, although nobody is supposed to know about it," Lucky admitted. "And I think it's better for everyone if in the case of his father that is kept in reality."

"Understood, Marie. Lead the way," Dale said, the two of them hurrying out. Maurice watched them go for a moment, glancing at the comments at the bottom of his poetry journal without really reading them.

"I wonder how my father would react," Maurice murmured.

"About what?" Earham asked.

"If I got involved with someone he didn't approve of," Maurice explained.

"Well, ultimately it's your life and your right to choose, regardless of how he feels," Earham said.

"Perhaps, but then again, one has a duty to one's family, don't they?" Maurice pointed out.

"But one still has a choice on whether or not to fulfill that duty," Earham pointed out.

"Do they?" Maurice said thoughtfully, but then shrugged, turning back to the notes. "I wouldn't know."

"Perhaps not, but I believe your friend Dirk is about to find that out," Earham commented before starting to read over Maurice's latest work.

It wasn't hard for Lucky and Dale to find Dirk. They went straight to the alchemy shop, and despite the number of mulling students looking to fill their kits, they could plainly see Dirk was hanging out near the counter making a play at buying some charmed colognes that he really had no interest in.

"Hey," Lucky said, hurrying up beside him. "You need to clear out, Dirk. You're father's in town."

"I don't know what you're… what do you mean my father is in town?" Dirk said in alarm.

"He just went into the Pannage with Coventry and Platt a few minutes ago and said something about having to track you down later," Lucky explained.

"You had better go, Dirk. He'd go nuts at seeing you in here at all, let alone talking to someone like me," Nancy said.

"There's nothing wrong with the way you are," Dirk said firmly.

"It wasn't so long ago that you thought so," Nancy pointed out. "Perhaps your father will come around as well."

"That's probably not going to happen. I'll see you after you get off work if I can," Dirk said.

"Mr. Willowby is letting me off at noon today. Should we meet in the usual place?" Nancy asked.

"Yes, that's probably safest," Dirk agreed. "I should go check to see if Miss Flume has the order ready for the Order of the Owls anyway."

"Oh? Are you having a party without me?" Dale teased.

"It's to raise money for fixing the boathouse," Lucky explained.

"Really? Well, I admit it probably needed it, but an odd pick for a project, isn't it?" Dale said.

"It's a long story," Lucky said as they walked out the door at a leisurely pace while Dirk hurried towards Honeydukes as if he were afraid they had run out of candy. Dale leaned over a bit.

"And is that a long story as well?" Dale asked, pointing over to where Don Coventry and Helena Weasley stepped out of the sports shop together.

"Nah, we just saw the reason for that," Lucky said, jerking her thumb back at Dirk. "Lena is just trying to keep a handle on Don so he won't get nosy." Dale shook his head.

"I'm glad I'm not in either of their shoes right now," Dale decided.

"So how do you think I look in these new Quidditch goggles?" Donald asked, getting them out of the box to display them as they walked out of the shop.

"Smashing," Helena said without too much enthusiasm. "Are you sure those are legal in play this year?"

"Of course they are… all the pros are wearing them this year, see?" Don said with a sigh, wondering how she could be so oblivious. Helena slowly focused on the magazine thrust in front of her face and took it. "These have a magnifying effect to them, so not only can you see better in poor conditions but you can also focus in on the other side of the Pitch if you like… or try to zoom in on the Snitch."

"Wouldn't that make it too easy?" Helena said.

"I suppose that depends on if the other team is wearing them or not," Don said, spinning the goggles around on his finger. "But considering how much these cost, I seriously doubt the other house teams will be. I'm going to ask father to buy a pair for everyone on the team, then we'll be a cinch for sure."

"Are we plotting again?" asked a challenging voice. Although the voice was quite similar to Don's, the tone made it sound altogether different in Helena's ears. She was unsurprised to see Mike and Delia standing nearby, Delia apparently caught mid-step as if trying to catch up.

"Oh mind your own business, reject," Don scowled at him.

"As far as I'm concerned, anything you do is my business, brother. And if you are plotting, I will find out about it," Mike said calmly.

"Someone definitely has to keep him in line," Delia agreed.

"And you can keep your hole shut. Really, Michael, isn't it bad enough to be a total family disgrace without getting cozy with that gabbing goose?" Don said.

"He's not a disgrace, and we're just friends," Delia said proudly.

"Please. Not even my poor excuse for a brother would hang out with a plain old hag like you unless you knew how to use your mouth for something other than talking," Don said. Both of the girls shouted out in protest as Mike reacted, Delia quickly having to hold his arm back to keep him from launching himself at his brother while Helena was warning Don not to pull out his wand.

"I will deduct points to anyone who goes any farther than this," Helena snapped.

"I'm not here to start it. But I'll be here to finish it," Don said, trying to shrug her away.

"You see Mike? He's just mouthing off to try and get you into trouble again. I bet your father's here this weekend and he's trying to make a scene," Delia said.

"Here he comes now," Helena said. The two boys immediately straightened up and looked over to see their father and Mr. Atchison wandering down the street.

"Well, I'm not sticking around if he's coming this way. Come on, Delia, let's go see if Ambrose is still in the dress shop," Mike said.

"Sure," Delia said, the two of them making a hasty retreat. Helena gazed wistfully over at them, wishing she could shirk her duties and follow.

"He's such a baby! Honestly, he's been a pain in the ass since he moved to Hufflepuff, but now that he's gotten thick over that Auror thing, he's completely unbearable," Don growled under his breath before walking over to meet his father. "Michael is being a problem again…"

"Oh, goodness, Donald, no family business in front of others," Abraxus said quickly, but patted him comfortingly on the shoulder. "I'm not staying long today because Mr. Atchison, Platt and I are in town trying to get support on a political matter, so…"

"What political matter?" Don interrupted.

"A petition of sorts asking the Ministry to come up with more viable options of storing dangerous artifacts, and so far we've met with plenty of support. Every wizard in the Pannage added their signature, save for one," Abraxus said cheerfully.

"I'm not sure Singh counts as a wizard," Atchison shrugged.

"Anyway, we're going to join Mr. Platt in the Divine Vision to speak to Oman. Please have your sister come see me," Abraxus said, taking some coins out and handing them to Don.

"Yes, and ask my son to come find me as well. I have an errand for him to run," Atchison said.

"I think I saw him walking to Honeydukes a few moments ago," Helena offered.

"Fine, we'll head that way," Don said, and immediately walked away from them.

But the moment they got into Honeydukes, it was made completely clear to Helena that Don had very little interest in relaying either of the messages, and was instead counting the coins he had been giving and began scoping the shelves. So Helena quickly tracked down Beth, who dropped what she had gathered into the nearest bin and hurried out of the shop. Dirk stood near the counter next to Connie and Gary, talking over several boxes that had been stacked there for them.

"Your father is looking for you," Helena explained. "He's in the divination shop."

"That didn't him take long, did it?" Dirk said in annoyance.

"Actually, you might as well get it over with… it sounded to me like they had business elsewhere and he probably won't be leaving until he sees you."

"No, of course he won't. All right, I'm going. Let Miss Flume know that I'll be right back, okay?"

"Don't worry about it, Dirk, we got it," Connie reassured him as they went through the boxes of candy.

As Dirk left, he reminded himself that his father would know of no reason that his son might be reluctant to see him. He had always come quite willingly any time his father had called him, eager for what little time the two had together between school and business meetings. Most of the time it involved more listening than talking; Dirk's father always had a lot to say, but seldom had time for any answers. But perhaps that fact would prove to be a blessing in disguise now, Dirk mused. He strode down the street and into the shop where Oman seemed more than happy to add his name to the bottom of the petition.

"Thank you very much, Oman," Abraxus said cordially, rolling up his scroll.

"All for the right cause," Oman said with a nod, pocketing the quill he had borrowed from Abraxus. "Where are you off to next?"

"London, I think, although we'll have to tread more carefully around the bank," Abraxus said.

"Yes, yes, but not until I've had a chat with the Headmaster," Atchison said. Abraxus shook his head.

"He's not likely to support anything when my name is on it. The two of us have been at odds ever since he turned my son against me," Abraxus said.

"For some reason I doubt Snape alone was solely responsible for that, Abraxus," Damon said.

"He was entirely responsible for it," Abraxus said in annoyance.

"Snape has always reveled in that sort of underhanded type of vengeance," Oman agreed.

"Nevertheless, I think this paper would be worth more with his name than without it, and I shall discuss it with him first," Atchison insisted.

"Abraxus, perhaps since the two of you bear a grudge, you should meet us at the Leaky Cauldron after we're done," Damon suggested.

"You're not staying for lunch, Father?" Beth asked with a pout from where she stood admiring some charmed rings.

"There, there, my dear. I shall stay all day if you like next time, but these things must be taken care of. Now, run along and go find your friends," Abraxus insisted, putting some coins in her hands. As he watched her go, he noticed Dirk standing by the door looking reluctant to come forward. "Ah, and there is your son, Kris."

"It is about time," Kris Atchison said. "Excuse me a moment." He led Dirk back outside, soon fiddling with his own coin pouch.

"I still have plenty of allowance money, father…"

"This isn't for that. Just because Abraxus likes to buy his children's love doesn't mean I'm going to stoop to anything that level. You are better off earning your money," Kris said firmly, Dirk nodding in acceptance and agreement. "I need a couple of herbs that unfortunately for me no one seems to carry in this blasted country except that Willowby shop and the taxes on it are outrageous if I try to buy it from an import catalog. I want you to go in there and buy them for me. I have them written down on this piece of paper."

"Me?" Dirk asked blankly.

"Yes, I know it's a teeth grinder to go into there with those Muggles and mutants about, Dirk, simply bite your tongue and go straight over and deal with Mr. Hecks at the counter, that clerk is a right lad," Kris said.

"And yet you would send your son into that den of questionables?" Dirk challenged him.

"Had I a choice, no. But Willowby and I are at odds at the moment and he has seen fit to restrict me from his shop. Just keep your head up and don't get too close to the trash and you'll be fine. I'll watch from here," Kris coaxed.

Dirk turned around with a steely gaze that reminded his father very much of his own when he was Dirk's age as he watched him go into the shop. Despite the busy hour, Dirk couldn't help but notice that the alchemist himself had stopped what he was doing and was standing by the shelves watching him fixedly, apparently having noticed the exchange between Dirk and his father out the window.

"Dirk? Is something wrong?" Nancy asked when he walked up with the counter with the same set look on his face.

"Nancy, could you please fetch some more sleep sand out of the storeroom?" Corey asked. Nancy frowned at him but turned and did what she was told, disappearing down the stairs. "Jack, could you look after Dirk's order, please?"

"Aye, sir," Jack said, leaving John to fend for himself with the line of students getting kits filled. They all rewarded dirty looks at Dirk, but it was so in character for the Head Boy to receive special attention that none of them thought it was at all out of place.

"I take it those are not for you," Corey said casually. He was turned partially away from Dirk as he filled shelves just behind the counter.

"Would you refuse service if I answered otherwise?" Dirk asked quietly.

"No, I would never penalize you for your father's actions, even if I know where it's going. To do so would only make things harder on you," Corey said quietly, straightening the next stack of potions despite the fact that they were full. "So don't worry about that, just do whatever works best for you. You're an seventh year and can make your own decisions… from what I've seen, you already have been."

"Just tell me if this argument of yours is about Nancy working here or not. My father had a problem with it, didn't he?" Dirk asked evenly.

"He had a problem with her working here, he had a problem with Haveners being in the shop, he had a problem with Haveners being in Hogsmeade in general, despite the fact that he doesn't live anywhere even close to this town. And yes, if anyone comes in here with any sort of slurring attitude towards either my employees or my customers, I will throw them out."

"Have you ever had Bindy thrown out?" Dirk asked daringly.

"I've been tempted, yes, but usually I refer any school incidents to my father," Corey admitted. "Where is she, by the way?"

"Detention," Dirk said evenly. Corey glanced over at him knowingly, and then turned back towards the shelf.

"Well, you may have been able to find a way to rig that once, but Slytherin prefect or not, you won't be able to keep her away from Hogsmeade all year. Be careful, for everyone's sake," Corey said, and then glanced over his other shoulder. "You can come up to the front now, Jack."

"Yes, sir," Jack said, appearing from where he had been waiting behind the shelves with two packages in hand.

"Thank you sirs," Dirk said, paying for the herbs then walking out of the shop, keeping his eyes on the door. Corey's turned his hand slightly, the door to the cellar becoming unlocked at the gesture. As he walked back to the lab, he saw Nancy standing in the cellar doorway with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Back to work, young lady, if you expect to get off on time. Someone would be very disappointed if you didn't," Corey reminded her. Nancy smiled, her uneasiness fading somewhat at his certainty that she would see Dirk that day, hurrying up front to fill the bins.


	18. Conclusion Vault

Chapter Eighteen

Conclusion Vault

Severus glanced over the petition for a long time, pondering it before looking back over at Damon and Kris.

"So the point of this petition is to bring up the public's concern over the lack of security on artifacts stored within the Ministry, correct?" Severus asked.

"Obviously," Kris Atchison agreed.

"And it also expresses concern that too many dangerous artifacts have been moved into the Ministry's holding vaults in Gringotts bank," Severus added, glancing pointedly at Damon Platt.

"If there were another bank boycott, Professor, or even worse, if we ever went to war, they would have our own arsenal of magic items to use against us," Damon explained solemnly.

"You have some very valid points," Severus admitted. "And there is nothing here that I haven't thought about myself at one time or another. However, I have a concern of my own that seems to be rather vaguely addressed in this petition. Where, exactly, do you want to store these magical artifacts if not in either of these two places?"

"That would be for the Council to decide…"

"Surely you wouldn't have written such a proposal without having thought about it. Abraxus Coventry would have thought of it, and his fingerprints seem to be all over this thing," Severus said.

"I can think of a couple basic options, Professor. We can make use of current public facilities to house it, such as some of the abandon areas of Azkaban since it already has high security in place. Or perhaps a private facility could be constructed specifically for the purpose of containing them and designed with the most ideal of conditions in mind," Kris said.

"I have an idea as well. We could have them destroyed," Severus suggested.

"Destroy such precious artifacts? Have you gone quite mad?" Kris gawked at him.

"Well, they're not doing anyone any good locked up in a vault, Ministry or otherwise. If the Ministry believes those items are too dangerous to be used, why keep them at all?" Severus asked.

"Historical value, for one thing…"

"Then construct a museum for them."

"There is nothing secure about a museum," Damon said flatly.

"No? If they were on display, it would be a lot more difficult for things to slip away unnoticed," Severus said. "However, if they were stored in a private facility, it is even more likely that things might disappear. Why not simply ask for the council to pair these orphaned items of 'historical' significance to wizards willing to take on the responsibility of taking care of them and making sure they don't fall into the wrong hands?"

"The Ministry would never agree to that," Kris said evenly.

"No, nor is it likely that the Ministry would agree to any of these other proposals, either," Severus said, handing them back the petition unsigned. "Knowing the Ministry, they will leave things as they are and simply try to reinforce their security."

"Such an attempt would be a waste of money and a waste of time," Damon snapped.

"Yes, so it would," Severus agreed. "Good luck on your petition, gentlemen. I'm sure we'll speak of it again next council meeting." The two men glanced at one another before getting up, finding the doors open and the Door Lift leading to the Entrance Hall. Severus escorted them all the way to the gates, casually inviting them to the school's ball knowing full well that neither would accept, and stayed with them until they finally Disapparated.

The moment they had gone, Severus went straight to Hogsmeade. He wasted as little time as he could tracking Jennifer down, finding her sitting at a table outside the deli with Andrew and Quintin in the stroller between them. They had been talking casually about their teaching agendas when Severus hurried over to them.

"Why, Severus! I thought you were staying at the castle today," Jennifer said, gazing at him questioningly.

"This won't take but a moment. I need you to come with me, Jennifer, and with your spectacles down if you don't mind," Severus said insistently. Jennifer glanced over at Andrew.

"Go on, Mum. I'll wait here with Quintin," Andrew said.

"All right," Jennifer said with a grateful smile before following behind Severus.

Severus peered in every shop until he found the student he was looking for. He then slowed down so suddenly that Jennifer nearly ran into him. Noticing her confusion, he offered her an arm, but Jennifer couldn't help but wonder what could possess him to be escorting her to Zonko's.

Just as they were about to step inside, four boys came out of the joke shop carrying several parcels, all of them stopping short when they realized who was standing in front of them.

"Mr. Craw, Mr. Hinge, Mr. Starling," Severus greeted them calmly. Maurice merely nodded, while the others were nervously debating whether or not to ditch the items they had just bought. "I see you're back from your visit, Mr. Gamban. Did you have a nice chat with your grandfather?"

"Oh, um… yes, thanks, actually," Garvan said, looking uncomfortable.

"Did you talk about anything interesting?" Severus asked. Maurice frowned at Severus disapprovingly.

"Quidditch and school, mostly. What else is there to talk about?" Garvan shrugged. "Can we go now?"

"Enjoy your trip," Severus said, stepping aside so the four boys could be on their way. The four of them took turns randomly looking over their shoulders, and when Severus finally turned to look at Jennifer, she was staring at him as if trying to bore holes through his head. "So, what did Garvan really speak to him about?" he asked in a low voice.

"Quidditch and school," Jennifer said, shaking her head at him knowingly. Severus frowned, but then nodded in acceptance.

Perhaps he was jumping to conclusions, Severus mused. After all, Abraxus had long been an advocate of Equinox, and the proposal did seem to be written in his own hand. But the thought of storing magic items in Azkaban disturbed him to the point that he had to ask himself why he felt that way… and found no logical reason behind it. It was that feeling which had prompted him to make certain that Garvan wasn't being manipulated again, and yet it was obvious that Jennifer didn't pick up anything odd from Garvan's answer. So why was it that Severus had a strong feeling that there was much more to that petition than what was written on the page? And why did he get the feeling that Abraxus wasn't the only one behind it?

* * *

It was the first game of the season, and everyone already knew it wouldn't end well. Rain was pouring into the boxes and onto the field. At least the Slytherin team looked upbeat about it all; if anything, they looked quite excited. Ravenclaw, however, looked out at the rain with glum expressions, knowing that their best chance of surviving the game would have been a clear day. In poor conditions, the young team knew they were going to get trounced. In the stands, the students were trying to make the best of the situation, but all of them were hoping for a fast game so they wouldn't have to stand in the downpour for long.

Jennifer stared at the drenched stairs in front of her, not wanting to step out of the covered stairwell to take her seat. Severus ignored her reluctance, stepping out to the very edge of the teacher's box. Taking out a black umbrella, he held it over the edge and gave it a little twist, the crowd watching in amazement as the umbrella's canopy suddenly stretched out over a hundred times its size. Acting quickly so that the wind didn't catch it at a bad moment, Severus tied the umbrella pole to the back of one of the seats, the staff sighing in appreciation when the canopy covered a most of the seating in the box.

"That's cheating!" Bellamy declared, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"I have a valid excuse," Severus said, glancing over at the stairs. Jennifer smiled enigmatically at him as she stepped to the top with Quintin in arms. The baby looked around at the crowd wide-eyed.

"What a pampered little man he is going to turn out to be," Bellamy said, sitting down in the first row, which was, still out in the rain. In fact, he had the entire bench to himself; the rest of the faculty gratefully bunched up in the middle to take full advantage of the shelter.

"Unlikely," Andrew commented as he attempted to find a seat where his head wouldn't be touching the side of the umbrella. Jennifer glanced over at Andrew curiously. "After all, he may have some benefits that the four of us didn't have growing up, but there is only so much you can compensate for being born a Snape. It has its own perks, its own downfalls, and its own responsibilities, and sooner or later he is going to have to deal with them. Personally, I think the benefits outweigh the problems… but it definitely won't be easy."

"I wouldn't want it to be easy," Severus admitted. "I've seen too often in my career what happens when a child has had it too easy." His eyes shifted over to Donald just then, unaware that just behind him several other members of staff had done the exact same thing.

"This is almost too easy," Don laughed as he and the Slytherin team sped down to the other side of the Pitch at a breakneck speed. Ravenclaw couldn't even hope to keep up. They were having hard enough time just keeping track of where the balls were.

"Don, these goggles are fantastic! It's just as clear as a sunny day, and they're not getting anywhere near us!" Beth declared as she sped by.

"It's definitely making our jobs a lot easier," Garvan agreed, hovering by Don while glancing around for the Bludgers. "They don't need much distracting… they're already distracted."

"Well, stay sharp, here they come… finally," Don warned.

"It isn't like Craw is going to let them anywhere near the rings anyway," Garvan said with complete confidence. But he zoomed back over to the opposite side of the Pitch to grab one of the Bludgers up.

"Why doesn't this rain ever stop?" Kim said through gritted teeth as she somehow managed to push through the Slytherin team with the Quaffle in hand.

"It's supposed to clear up next week," Pimra said, watching her flank.

"A lot of good that does us!" Kim snapped.

"Want me to take it in?" Pimra asked her. But instead of a reply, Kim pushed her broom towards the rings.

Maurice, who had been daydreaming, suddenly came into focus as Kim charged in but had trouble figuring out just which ring she was actually trying for. It wasn't until she was making her dive that he noticed she had lost her perspective completely. He didn't have to move at all, he realized, watching with fascination as she carried the ball under the middle ring instead of into it.

"Kim! Toss it quick!" Pimra shouted at her.

Panicking, she threw it up in the air, giving Helena the chance to scoop it up and toss it back to Beth. Beth raced it back down to the other side of the Pitch before the inexperienced Ravenclaw team had time to recover.

"Oh, this is no fun at all!" Kim shouted with frustration. "Sand! Find the damn Snitch already!"

"Don't start blaming me!" Sand protested, but he then saw something flash and became alert. For an instant, he could plainly see the gold against the dark background of an enlarged umbrella. He bolted towards the teacher's box, praying that the other team hadn't caught the movement. But just as he made a grab at the Snitch, it suddenly dropped out of his reach. "What in blazes? Is the damn thing broken?" he wondered out loud as he made a dive towards where it had fallen in the grass.

But in the poor visibility, he hadn't noticed Bindy moving in zooming close to the ground to scoop it up. Just as she did so, he came crashing into her, the momentum of his dive knocking him hard against the ground.

"Did you see that?" Severus asked before the roaring crowd muffled his words at the announcement that Slytherin had won 200-0. Several concerned teachers scrambled over to the edge of the box. Sand was still knocked out on the field but Ginny and Sagittari already over him. "Did you see what happened to the Snitch just now as it passed near Quintin…"

"Oh, Severus, honestly!" Jennifer said in disbelief, handing Quintin off to Andrew so she could hurry down to check on her student. Quickly Severus followed after her.

"He has a nasty concussion and neck sprain at the very least, although nothing appears to be broken… we need to get him inside as soon as possible," Sagittari was telling Ginny when they arrived.

"Bindy has a broken ankle and a few bruises, but otherwise she's all right…" Ginny informed him in return.

"All right? Look at what he did to my broom!" she said furiously.

"Please try to stay calm," Ginny told her insistently.

"Madame Potter, you go on and help Sagittari with Mr. Loche, we'll get Miss Carr to the hospital wing," Severus said.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Ginny said and turned her attention to helping Sagittari prepare Sand to be moved and taken inside while Jennifer cast a spell to temporarily bind up Bindy's ankle.

"Awful rough first game, wasn't it?" Jennifer commented as she helped Bindy up.

"Is she all right?" Danny asked as she skipped up beside them on her broom and then landed. "Sorry, I went to dismiss the teams and take a look at the Snitch to see of it was hexed. It was, by the way," she chuckled.

"Of course it was!" Jennifer snapped curtly. "And you need to stop jumping to conclusions, Severus Snape!" Danny raised a brow and gazed at Severus questioningly, but he shook his head slightly and indicated with a gesture that he'd explain later, turning his attention to getting Bindy to the hospital wing.

The Ravenclaw Quidditch team and several of Sand's friends hovered near the door of the private room when they arrived, looking a little listless. A few moments later Madame Weasley came out, getting a barrage of worried questions that made her quickly hush them and close the door.

"Please, you really must calm down! Mr. Loche has a very bad concussion and he needs to rest quietly. I'm afraid he won't be well enough for regular visitors right now, and is going to need to be watched over carefully for the next few days," Madame Weasley explained.

"So he will be all right?" Pimra asked anxiously.

"As long as there aren't any complications, I'm sure he'll be fine. He just needs to take it easy for a while," Ginny explained.

"How long is a while?" Kim demanded. "Is he going to be able to make it to our next game in a couple of weeks? What are the chances?"

"I'm the afraid the chance of that is zero," Ginny said with such certainty that there were moans and anxious queries again. "I'm sorry, but even though he'll more than likely be ready to go back to classes before then, there are certain dangers after you have this severe a concussion that only lessens with time…"

"Hang on a moment, Sand was hoping to play for the Hornets next summer. Is this going to ruin his contract?" Colby asked.

"Well… honestly, I really don't know. We'll have to see how it goes by then," Ginny admitted carefully. "But if he wants to increase his chances of a full recovery, he'll take Doctor Sagittari's advice and not play for the rest of the year."

"Not play for the rest of the year? But he's our team captain!" Pimra gasped. "Who is going to help us with our plays and things? Most of our team is made up of first time players!"

"I am sorry, but we have to think of what is best for Sandford, Miss Glass. Perhaps you should ask your advisor about it," Ginny suggested, nodding behind her. Pimra and several other students looked around to see Professor Craw watching the commotion.

"Professor Craw? Did you hear all of it?" Pimra said.

"Yes, I did, although personally I think the choice of who should be next team captain should be obvious," Jennifer said with a sympathetic smile.

"She's right, you know, there is only one logical choice," Jessica decided. "You'll have to take over, Pimra."

"Me?" Pimra blinked. "But I… I'm no good at…"

"As you just pointed out, most of us are new to the team," Kim said. "You know the plays better than we do, and people tend to listen to you."

"But I don't want to lead!" Pimra said. "Surely there's someone else who wants to do it!"

"It isn't whether someone wants to do it or not that matters," Jessica said. "What matters is picking who is best for the team." Pimra gazed at them with a frown for a long moment, but no one else said anything. Instead, they all seemed to be waiting for her to say something. Even Professor Craw gazed at her expectantly.

"All right, I'll do it for the team," Pimra sighed. Professor Craw smiled.

"I think that's a good choice," Professor Craw agreed, and then began to walk over to Madame Potter.

"Professor Craw?" Pimra called out, her voice sounding a bit shaky in hear own ears as their advisor glanced around quizzically. "I don't suppose there's any way Leu can be allowed to have his broom here at school?"

Professor Craw heard a soft yet unmistakable groan from behind her, but when she looked around, the Headmaster was busy going through the first aid cabinet.

"I'll see what I can do," Craw said with a wink. "Now, you'd better get back to your dorm and get out of those wet clothes before you end up giving Madame Weasley and Doctor Sagittari more work than they can handle."

"Yes, Professor," Pimra said, glancing around at the others who nodded and followed her out.

Bindy folded her arms and glared at them as they walked past, lying with her foot propped up and looking even less happy than usual. Where was _her_ team right now? After all, she was the one that had won the game for them, and yet none of them had even peeked in the door yet. Why was Sand getting so much attention from his classmates when he was the one who blundered into her like that?

"I'm sure they'll be here in a few minutes, Bindy, they probably went to change first," Professor Craw said. Bindy looked up in complete surprise, turning red when she saw the Professor smiling sympathetically at her.

"No need, really. I doubt you'll be staying long. It isn't a bad break," the Headmaster said, handing something to Ginny as she stepped over to take a look at it.

"I think you're right, Professor Snape. You're pretty lucky to come out of that crash with such a minor injury, Bindy," Ginger told her sincerely. "I'll just need a few minutes to set it and give you something for the swelling and you'll be free to head back to your houserooms."

"Lovely," Bindy said, sounding less than pleased. But it was only a few minutes later when Professor Brittle returned.

"Sorry it took so long. I was trying to find out if any of my students knew anything about what might have happened to the Snitch," Madame Brittle explained.

"Oh? Any luck?" Professor Snape asked.

"Not a bit, really. And strangely enough, the Snitch started behaving on its own when I got it to my office to look at it," Brittle said.

"So it might not have been hexed at all?" Snape asked. Craw gave him a piercing look.

"Had to have been. Nothing makes a Snitch drop out of the sky like that," Brittle said evenly. "I also had a look at those goggles too while I was at it, and you know what? Those goggles are marvelous! You can see clear through the rain in those and across the rings for that matter. I can see why the pros are wearing them this year. If the Ravenclaw team had been wearing those too, I doubt we'd have had such a nasty accident today."

"Oh?" Snape said thoughtfully. "Perhaps we should consider adding them to the list of standard safety equipment."

"If you hadn't suggested it, I would have," Danny said cheerfully.

"Does that mean if they can't afford the goggles they won't be allowed to play?" Bindy asked brightly.

"Now don't worry about that, there's a special fund in the sports department for problems of that nature," Brittle reassured her. Bindy gazed back at her in disappointment. "Is she about ready to be escorted back to the common rooms, Madame Potter?"

"Almost," Madame Potter said, forcing Bindy to drink a potion out of a rather large spoon. "You can have her now, but she needs to stay off that ankle, Madame Brittle."

"Take the Door Lift," Snape suggested.

"Thank you, Professor," Brittle said in the same cheerful voice. Bindy experimentally stood, discovering that although it felt tender that she could put some weight on it, managing to get herself outside the room without needing too much more assistance from Madame Brittle. In no time they were through the lift and into Conspiracies. Wine glasses held by several of the seventh year boys immediately disappeared and turned into something more conservative as they entered. Brittle simply shook her head and gave them a knowing, disapproving smile.

"There she is now. Good catch, Bindy," Helena said.

"I see you're starting the party without me?" Bindy said angrily. "And yet after I won the game for you no one was in the least bit of a hurry to come up and check on me?" she challenged them, looking directly over at Dirk.

"Madame Brittle caught us right after the game and wanted to speak with us, then asked us to come straight here," Dirk explained calmly.

"Didn't I already explain that?" Madame Brittle wondered out loud.

"All the same, it would have been nice if someone had shown their support after I'd hurt my ankle and all…"

"Well, we'll show it now," Dirk said easily. "Boys, off the couch. Toss on the pillows so Bindy can put her leg up. And someone make sure the wizard of the hour has a full cup," he added with a nod towards Donald Coventry, who had been allowed to sit in the Headboy's plush chair and was propped up with an ottoman, drink and a tray of snacks with such exaggerated reverence that Bindy instantly thought of Henry the Eighth.

"Brilliant, thanks," Don said as his cup refilled, looking quite comfortable. "I always knew those goggles would be a good purchase, and the rain made it perfect."

"Too bad it was during the easiest game of the year," Helena said. "I hope it rains during our Gryffindor game."

"The weather is supposed to clear up this week," Brittle ventured, going over to get herself some punch. A blue flame flared up when she approached and then quickly died into nothing, burning off whatever it was that must have been put in it. "And there is another development that you might want to be aware of," she added, filling her glass.

"Yes, Madame Brittle?" Dirk prompted.

"The Headmaster is considering making those new goggles a safety requirement for all teams," she explained.

"What?" Don said, sitting up in alarm.

"Didn't you say you would have suggested it had the Headmaster not brought it up?" Bindy challenged her.

"Bindy, you're a seventh year. You should know me well enough by now to know that I'll support any of you no matter what messes or schemes you get into. But when it comes to Quidditch, I like a fair game, and I didn't see anything out there tonight that was anything even close to a fair game. Would anyone care to dispute it?" Brittle asked, glancing between them.

"We didn't do anything against the rules by wearing the goggles," Don said defensively. "And we had nothing to do with that crazy ending with the Snitch."

"I'm glad to hear it," Brittle said. "I need to go pick up Gloria and then I'll be in my office for an hour in case anyone needs me before I head home. Oh, and don't put anything else in the punch or it'll turn whoever drinks it into a toad. Have a good evening!" she added cheerfully before slipping out the door.

"She didn't believe us. She really thinks we did something to that Snitch," Meyers snorted.

"Well, I certainly didn't," Don said. "Bindy seemed to get the Snitch pretty fast after it dropped."

"Thanks to your goggles," Bindy admitted, prompting another smug look from Don. "Too bad Loche had to blunder into me like that and break my ankle…"

"You're right, if it hadn't been for that, maybe the Professor wouldn't have mandated that stupid thing about getting everyone to wear them," Don said with annoyance.

"How is Loche, by the way?" Dirk asked.

"Don't you want to know how I am?" Bindy frowned.

"I can see how you're doing. How is he?" Dirk asked impatiently.

"Bad, I suppose," Bindy admitted reluctantly. "He'll recover, but he's off the team. I think they're asking Murphy…"

"Are you joking? Replacing one of their last two seventh years with a first year?" Dirk said with a short laugh. "They won't win a game this season! That's brilliant after the pain they've been over the last few years."

"No doubt about it, we're the ones with the advantage this year. We'll be bringing back the Quidditch Cup for certain," Don declared.

"And the House Cup as well," Dirk agreed. "So please don't do anything to louse it up."

"Why do you always look at me when you say things like that?" Don scowled.

"Because it normally is you," Dirk said evenly.

"It's not my fault the Headmaster is prejudiced against me because he doesn't like father…"

"He seems to like your brother well enough," Bindy commented.

"That's no wonder, my brother is a traitor to Slytherin, just like he is," Don scowled.

Suddenly Don's eyes bulged with a look of pain and surprise as he began to make rasping noises, his face turning blue. He tried to get up but ended up tripping over the ottoman and falling on the floor, gasping to regain his breath as if he had been completely winded.

Finally he looked up to see that the only student who had moved from their spot was Maurice Craw. Maurice's face as white as a sheet, and he was still grasping his wand with whitened knuckles.

"Don't you dare insult another member of my family in my presence again," Maurice said, his voice sounding strange and distant. "And don't you ever insult another former member of Slytherin in this room again!" Don slowly sat up, glaring at him furiously.

"Why you little son of a…"

"Slytherin," Dirk finished, yanking Don to his feet and nodding to another of the seventh year boys to take the other side. "I've warned you before about speaking out of turn about former Slytherin, Coventry. You deserve what you got. You will go to your room! The celebration is officially over!"

"I'm not going anywhere but to Brittle's office!" Don rasped.

"As you like, but if you try to lodge a complaint, I assure you that you won't find any witnesses. What goes on in the Common Room of Conspiracy stays in this room, and you aren't likely to find many witnesses to back you up considering the offense," Dirk said coolly.

"If there is an offense for telling the truth, I take it gladly…"

"Then I shall be forced to challenge you to a wizard's duel, and I guarantee you that it will not go in your favor," Maurice said calmly.

"Stand down, Craw, I will handle this. Take him to his room, and inform Madame Brittle before she leaves this evening that Coventry is on official house arrest for provoking a fellow Slytherin," Dirk said. "One way or another, you will learn how to hold that tongue of yours or we will teach you to hold it for you."

"Just wait, Atchison. I'll be finding a way to shove your authority up your ass. And as for you, you little prick, you are going to get what's coming to you one of these days…"

"Finster, put a gag spell on him and take him out of my sight! He's a disgrace to the house," Dirk growled, and he and several of the other boys dragged Coventry to his room. "And now that the excitement is over, I suggest that everyone else head to their rooms to study and get ready for going back to class tomorrow. See to it on the girl's side, Lena."

"Already working on it," Lena assured him. "Bindy, that includes you."

"But I was just injured, or have you all forgotten about me already?" Bindy asked. Dirk rolled his eyes.

"Bindy, I am not in the mood to put up with your drama tonight. Can't you see I have enough problems without you adding to it?" Dirk snapped.

"But I broke my ankle! Aren't you the least bit concerned about me at all?" Bindy demanded.

"Didn't the Doctor or Madame Potter fix that for you?"

"Well, yes, but it is still sore…"

"Oh, I see where this is going now," Dirk interrupted suddenly. "This is about the ball tomorrow, isn't it?"

"What?" Bindy stammered, having forgotten.

"Well, you have no reason to worry about that, Bindy. I was going to have to call our date anyhow, because the Owls selling confections during the Spectral Ball and they have asked me to organize the whole thing. I wouldn't have been much company anyhow sitting at a booth all night, so it's just as well. Now you can take it easy and make a full recovery before our next game. Lena, would you mind seeing Bindy to her room?" Dirk added, glancing over to see the other prefect watching them.

"Sure, Dirk," Helena said, stepping over. Slowly Bindy got to her feet, gazing at Dirk searchingly, but he was giving her the same calm, collected look that always seemed to be on his face. "Come on, Bindy. You can lean on me," Helena coaxed firmly, leading her down the hall. But her expression was so angry and haunted as they walked that finally Helena couldn't let it go without comment any longer. "Are you all right, Bindy?"

"He treats me like he does any other Slytherin," Bindy snapped.

"I think that would be a blessing if I were you," Helena said.

"What do you mean by that?" Bindy said.

"Look, it's obvious to everyone in Slytherin what's going on. Dirk and your parents want the two of you together and are encouraging it, and you are egging them on," Helena said. "But it's just as obvious that Dirk doesn't want it. Why would you even want a relationship like that? Why would you want to be with someone who is only going along with it to appease his parents and keep them off his back? Wouldn't you rather be with something who actually loves you, Bindy?"

"He'll learn to love me," Bindy said resolutely, despite the fact she looked quite uncomfortable.

"No, he won't, he never will. If anything, the fact that anyone is pressuring him at all will make him hate it even more, just like I hated my parents trying to push me into Gryffindor. But I am a Slytherin and so is he, and he is not going to take that kind of pushing for long. He is going to do what he wants…"

"And so am I!" Bindy snapped angrily at her.

"That's true, I guess. But if what you want are two different things, it'll never work, no matter how badly you try," Helena said, stopping at her dorm room.

"It will work. You'll see," Bindy said angrily, hurrying in and slamming the door. Shaking her head, Helena walked back to Conspiracies.


	19. Visiting Hour

Chapter Nineteen

Visiting Hour

Severus gazed out over the parapet, looking off into the distance. It was a gorgeous morning. The rain had finally cleared away and had been replaced with very cold, dry air that seemed to accentuate the blue sky. The trees were mostly skeletons now with only a few brown leaves remaining, and the gentle breeze coming from the mountains smelled like snow. The wall on his left was suddenly pushed open, and Jennifer peered out curiously.

"Oh, so you are out here. Rather cold, isn't it? But isn't it lovely?" Jennifer said as she stepped over to him, admiring the view off the Perch.

"There is a storm brewing," Severus said darkly.

"For some reason I don't think that is a comment about the recent weather," Jennifer ventured, taking his arm. "You have been feeling that way for a while now, and yet nothing has happened."

"Things have happened, Jennifer, and continue to happen, they simply haven't happened to us yet. It'd be foolish to think that won't change, and soon if I'm not mistaken…"

"Are you certain it isn't just because it's Halloween, Severus?" Jennifer asked knowingly.

"You know, every year you ask me that and every year something happens," Severus said, looking quite annoyed.

"I didn't ask you last year," Jennifer reminded him.

"Only because we rather missed last year," Severus pointed out. "I only hope this year doesn't try to make up for that fact."

* * *

Conner Donovan knocked gently before opening the door to find Sibyl sitting in the middle of a pile of tiny of pieces of paper that littered the floor like confetti. She was humming loudly and nervously while concentrating on the paper in her hand, picking away at the edges of it in an attempt to make a paper horse.

"Morning, Sibyl…"

"Professor Trelawney," she corrected, not looking up.

"Oh, Professor today, is it? Are we having a bad day today?" Conner asked, picking up one of three other horses. They were smattered with different colors, red, black, grey, but the color itself must have come from what little power she had left for there was no ink or pain in the room.

"I hear them. I hear them endlessly now. They will be coming. They will be coming for me tonight."

"What do you hear?" Conner asked.

"Hoof beats. I hear hoof beats. Can't you hear them? They're coming ever closer now… louder and louder! Surely you hear them! They are coming to free me!"

"Free you?" Conner repeated.

"To free me in the only way I can be freed. To release me from my mortal bonds!" she shrieked. "I shall not live after tonight. They may come for me but I know I will not be kept alive."

"I'm sure you'll be safe here…"

"No one is safe anywhere," Sibyl said somberly, showing him the horse. "You cannot run. You cannot hide. The hoof beats always come. And now they come for me because of what I know. He is afraid that someone might believe me and ruin his plans."

"Whose plans?" Conner asked.

"Death," Sibyl explained, tapping the mottled grey horse.

"Why would death fear you?" Conner asked, trying as hard as he could to understand.

"Because I know the Snape family secret," Sibyl explained. "I know what it is that Severus is trying to hide."

"That's enough, Sibyl."

Conner looked up in surprise to see Aurelius standing in the doorway with a steely look in his eyes.

"I see it's the family watchdog. But this is a secret you will not be able to keep for much longer," Sibyl said, a mad flash in her eyes. "It is plain on the nose on your face. Those shadowed scars do not save you from your boyish features, Aurelius. You look no more than nineteen."

"I have Ravenclaw blood, Sibyl, it's not that unusual for me to look young…"

"And how do you explain your brother Corey, who looks but a few years older than you?" she inquired with a giggle.

"They are using Fae Apples actually…"

"Fae Apples! This is no charm of nature, for it is if anything quite against nature itself. It can be nothing short of alchemy… and alchemy of the very highest order."

"Alchemy of the highest order…" Conner murmured, then saw Aurelius reached for his wand. "Wart, what are you doing?"

"I'm just putting her to sleep so she'll get over this current stint she's on…"

"Wait, let me do that," Conner sighed, pulling out a small potion bottle and a spoon.

"You would be better off killing me before they do," Sibyl suggested sweetly.

"You know we'd never do that, Sibyl," Conner said, holding up the liquid. "And I don't think you have any reason to worry. You're safe here at St. Mungo's."

"No one is safe anywhere… no matter how far away, or how thick the walls. There are no boundaries except those within one's old mind, and my mind is quite tired now. It will soon slip into nothingness, just… like…" she mumbled something else, but then she nodded off and Conner managed to call a nurse over and the two of them helped the old woman into her bed. He then looked up at Aurelius, who gazed at him searchingly in return before turning and walking out of the room. Conner soon followed behind, the two of them wandering the halls until they found a small empty waiting room.

"I don't suppose… that you can actually read anything from her?" Conner asked quietly.

"Images…strange images… she was thinking of her time in the Crystal Caves, I think," Aurelius murmured, getting a cup. "I couldn't get any more than that. She's much too far gone."

"So you don't know if she were telling the truth or not?" Conner asked.

"Who knows? Truth is whatever you want it to be when you're insane, without any basis in rational thought required. To be honest, I was surprised I picked anything up from her at all," Aurelius said. "She thinks she saw her own death in there, that much is certain, and she's convinced she's going to die here at the hospital, and soon. Why was she removed from Azkaban again?"

"The same reason as last time, the Warden doesn't feel that Azkaban has the appropriate facilities to treat her there," Conner explained. Aurelius sighed. "She used to talk to herself all the time in the cell and mutter down the halls, and when she grew increasingly worse, he had her transferred back here again to see if Morfinn could do anything."

"And he sent for you," Aurelius said dryly.

"Brilliant doctor, isn't he?" Conner chuckled. "No, I think the Warden is right, Azkaban is no place for her. She's more comfortable here, and she can't so much as light a match anymore so it's not as if she could get out of here on her own."

"No, not on her own," Aurelius said thoughtfully. "I think I'm going to have her put on the flag board as a precaution. That way I'll know if anything happens if what she saw in those crystals was anything remotely close to reality."

"Well, I can tell you that she was right about one thing. You won't be able to keep that secret forever," Conner said solemnly. Aurelius gazed at him evenly.

"Then let it be in my father's own way and time," Aurelius said. "I'm going to get that flag up. Let me know if she says anything else particularly odd."

"She should be asleep for a while, but I'll definitely be watching," Conner promised. Aurelius nodded to him then went to the ministry, leaving Conner alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Supposedly 'scentless' incense sticks were lit on every table in bamboo holders, making the tower smoky and a bit stuffy, for the windows were shut tight as well. Professor Ravenclaw floated around the room, making certain that his advanced Divination class were all practicing their meditation exercises.

"You'll find that smoke reading is little different than crystal or pool readings in practice. Many ancient cultures across the world has used smoke as a medium for mediation over the centuries, and many diviners and prophets prefer this form because of that, for they feel closer to their ancestors," Ravenclaw explained. "Is everyone quite relaxed now?" he asked. He gazed curiously at Ambrose. Usually Ambrose was the first one to relax; but for some reason he seemed unusually tense. "Let's cast our revelation spells now and see what the smoke has to tell us today."

Strangely in sync with one another, the students all gestured at the same exact time, opening their eyes with the same mesmerized stare on their face. But before Icarus could truly ponder its significance, the smoke from the incense seemed to drift erratically.

"Strange. I see four swords tied together," murmured Paula.

"Odd, I see four school trunks from different houses with heavy chains around them," said Helena.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Bindy said at the same table, gazing at Helena as if she were insane. "That's obviously a Hogwarts crest, only the individual sides are slashed as if a dagger went through each quarter."

"I see four horses," Ambrose said, his voice sounding strange. "I can hear them as well."

"Strange, I hear them too," Paula said with alarm, her smoke changing into wispy horses. "I can even feel them!" The entire class began letting out exclamations as their own images turned into horses as well.

"Something really unnatural is going on here," said Gary. "I don't remember anything in the book about anything like this happening."

"Everyone stand back here! Quickly!" Ravenclaw ordered. No one in the class needed to be told twice, for the smoke trails had begun to grow larger even as he spoke.

The students gathered in a cluster as the smoke from all the different desks seemed to gather into one gigantic smoke cloud. The strange ghostly images were faint at first, but the sound was getting louder and was accompanied by the sound of a woman's cackling laughter. Soon the laughter was drowned out as the thunderous sound of hoof beats grew even louder.

There was a strange fluctuation, and the different streams of smoke separated into tiny bats until there was a swarm in the air so lifelike that several students ducked for cover. Then the tiny bats shattered into smaller wings shapes, and there were so many of them that all they could do was try to blindly swat at them.

"I think… I think they're locusts! But there are so many!" Paula gasped.

"This is insane! Whoever is doing this stop it at once!" Bindy demanded.

Suddenly the incense all seemed to be snuffed out at once and the smoke began to dissipate. As the students looked around to try and figure out what had caused it, the hoof beats faded into a still yet uneasy silence… the sort that came after a shock of horror rather than a moment of peace.

"I don't think I like that method," Paula decided, her voice sounding shaky. Ravenclaw gazed over at Ambrose, the only student who hadn't left his seat. But the boy had the same baffled, haunted expression on his face as the other students had.

"Well, that was intriguing, wasn't it?" Professor Ravenclaw said, the students all jumping nervously at the sound of his voice. "Everyone write their experience down in their journals, and we'll go over it at a later date. I think it would be wise if we simply spent the rest of the class relaxing and practicing for the upcoming test on Tarot Cards. Ambrose, would you please open the windows? I'm sure you students could use some fresh air after all that smoke."

Ambrose slowly got up and pulled open the shutters, standing there even after the other students had returned to their desks and got out their decks of cards. Ravenclaw gazed at him thoughtfully as he thought of the vision they had seen when suddenly he heard several gasps coming from the rest of his class.

"Professor, look!" Paula exclaimed, and Ravenclaw floated over. He was just as amazed as the other students to see that each student had pulled out the Four of Swords, with the next three cards being the fours in the other sets.

"Class dismissed," Ravenclaw said at last. "Why don't you all head to up to your dormitories to get ready for the ball? It won't be long now, you know." He sunk through the floor, while the students looked at each other uneasily.

* * *

"And how was she when she awoke?" Severus asked in a low voice. He had been so intent on the conversation that his study was quite dim, for the sun had fallen behind the castle.

"Silent. Conner said she didn't even acknowledge his presence but simply sat and looked out the window, blocking out the rest of the world. She didn't seem inclined to talk about it any more," Aurelius said. "Do you think any of what she was rambling about was real?"

"Aurelius, you know as well as anyone that the crystals in that cave seldom speak the truth."

"Yes, but there are sometimes elements of truth…"

"Which makes them all the more dangerous," Severus reminded him. "However, I don't think you are overreacting by wanting to keep an eye on her. Something is going on…"

"I must agree," came a voice out of nowhere, and the two men paused their conversation and tried to pinpoint the sound until Icarus manifested. "There is something going on, and whatever it is, the danger is immediate."

"What do you remember?" Severus asked sharply.

"Nothing, Severus, but that doesn't mean something isn't going on. My entire class just had a unified vision; images representing the number four followed by some sort of swarm or plague…"

"Plague?" Aurelius repeated with surprise.

"And when I tried to settle them to their desks with their cards, the cards also reacted with similar visions of four… four different representations of the number, in fact, one of each suit. There can be little doubt that the images were threatening," Icarus said somberly.

"Armando, have Jennifer up here immediately after her class. Let her know we need to take care of some last minute security concerns for tonight and I want to set up patrols. Inform John and the House Elf staff that the students will be spending the night in the Great Hall after the ball, inform the staff to tell the students that attendance is mandatory, and have all the tunnels leading out of the castle sealed the moment everyone is accounted for. And prepare for a full school lockdown the instant the last of our guests have left. I want this place as tight as if Ciardoth was standing on our doorstep, and for God's sake, no séances or summonings… Icarus, I'm putting you personally responsible for making certain that no students try that sort of thing."

"Yes, Severus."

"Just another typical Halloween at Hogwarts," Aurelius said dryly.

"And how did your trip to Belgium go?" Severus asked thoughtfully.

"It didn't go at all," Aurelius admitted. "The Auror that the Ministry supposedly tipped off to where the vampire lived is now missing."

* * *

Auror Young was just about to doze off when he heard the door and became instantly alert, making an effort to fill out a report on wayward flags he had noticed in between naps. Harry gazed at him thoughtfully from the doorway for a while before finally stepping out.

"Are you sure you want to handle the office by yourself tonight? I can always call Jamie in…"

"No, no, she's busy looking into that vampire thing, too, isn't she? That business in Belgium? And the recent staking in France. Something funny about all of that…"

"Yes, I agree, but the trouble is what," Harry murmured. "Still, we have other cases to think about and other business other than chasing vampires, contrary to popular belief."

"Popular belief is that it's the Ministry of Mysteries chasing the vampires," Very snorted.

"Yes, and I'm still trying to figure out where those rumors are coming from as well," Harry sighed. "Perhaps Severus will have some ideas… maybe the fact that Aurelius never made it back to the office to check in means they've discovered something… well, I can hope, at least."

"I don't suppose you'd ever go to a social event to enjoy yourself?" Very grunted at him.

"I'll try my best," Harry said with a thin smile before grabbing his coat and walking out of the office.

It wasn't long before the whole building was quiet. After a cursory inspection of the flag board and checking to make all the clocks were in working order, Very stood in the doorway and waved as the last of the clerks from the artifacts department hurried past on their way home to spend the holiday with their families. Sighing softly and thinking of Halloweens past, Very went back to the desk, trying to get comfortable. In no time he had dozed off again.

It wasn't long after that one of the flags lit up, a curious red hue appearing around it. A moment later two more began to glow, and then another still… and then a large group of flags appeared on the map that weren't there before, all centered on the Ministry building. The glow increased so brightly with so many in one place that Very stirred and noticed them, sitting up wide-eyed in surprise to see that the map was lit up all over the place.

"I'm sorry, did we disturb your rest?" Rafe inquired from the doorway.

Very turned around at the sound of the voice, his wand already in hand as he did so. But Rafe was far from alone; three other elder vampires stood behind him and Very saw shadows passing through the halls.

"I don't know what you're after coming here, but you won't get it," Very said coldly, fully prepared to make a stand.

"It is too late. I am already getting it," Rafe said. "Where is your master? The mortal called Potter?" Very shook his head slowly. "Then we shall convince you to tell us," he said, his eyes glinting slightly. A terrible wave of fear surged through Very's entire body, one that made him cry out in terror and stumble backward. He held onto his wand, but only just; and the spell that came out in response was so weakly cast it was completely inconsequential.

Rafe watched with only passing interest as the elders subdued the old man, waiting patiently until he had gotten his answer.

"Take this one back, then return to help us search for more," Rafe said, gesturing at one of his elders.

"Your pardon, Father," said a shadowed figure behind him. "But we have found the office of the Minister of Mysteries and there was an agent still there."

"Was there?" Rafe said with delight. "Show us the way then, dear Wingard, since you know this place so well."

"Yes, Father," Foncé said with a bow, quickly turning down the corridor. "He has already been put in a trance and is ready for questioning."

The fear in the halls was so strong it was nearly visible, but the vampires cut through their own manifestations as if unaware that they were there. A soft whimper was heard in the distance, and immediately two of the vampires accompanying Foncé took off in the direction of the sound.

"The office is down on the lower level," he explained, hurrying down the stairs. Rafe followed behind, despite the fact that his feet never seemed to touch them. They strode down a corridor past several heavy doors and into what seemed to be a typical departmental office with desks, chairs, and so forth; the only thing missing was the paperwork. There wasn't a scrap of paper anywhere to be found in the entire room.

A squirrelly man with large ears stood between two vampires; his face pale, expression blank, and eyes dull. He wore a large wizard's overcoat that covered what appeared to be Muggle attire.

"Are you an agent of the Minister of Mysteries?" Rafe asked.

"Yes," said the man.

"Who is your master?" The man frowned. "Who is the Minister of Mysteries?" Rafe insistent.

"I do not know," the man said.

"How could you possibly not know?" Rafe hissed. "How do you get your orders?"

"Though coded letters. The minister has many secretaries whose job it is to shuffle mail so no one place of origin can be detected. Even they don't know who it is."

"Why go to such lengths to protect a public official?" Rafe frowned.

"It has always been thus, although there have been extra measures put into place in recent years to protect him from a former minister who is suspected to still have agents in the Ministry," he murmured.

"You mean Bagman?" Foncé inquired. Rafe raised an eyebrow at Foncé.

"Yes," the man said.

"He is in prison," Foncé pointed out.

"Yes, but the current minister suspects that he is working beyond the walls of Azkaban against us."

"I couldn't care less about the minister's other enemies, Foncé. Who knows the true identity of the minister, mortal? The Minister of Magic must, to have appointed him. Who else?"

"I have heard that the Minister of Law Enforcement and Auror Potter both speak as if they know who it is," the man admitted somberly.

"Minister of Law Enforcement?" Rafe squinted.

"Thomas Craw," Foncé said.

"And where is this Thomas Craw at this hour?"

"He is at Hogwarts," said one of the elder vampires. "The enforcer in his office said he had gone to visit his son."

"Why is everyone I need currently beyond my reach?" Rafe growled. "Never mind! They will come, and we will be waiting. Round up the other mortals! There are surely others still hidden here."

"Yes, Father," Foncé said, quickly exiting the room as if intent on their task.

But Foncé wasn't interested in the task at all. Rather, he was more interested in working his way to the reception hall. He focused in on the sense of his brothers and sisters around him, using that sense to avoid them until he finally found a spot where he sensed nothing at all. He closed his eyes, feeling a surge of power as his fleshy form faded away… the heaviness falling from him as he spread out into a form of dark mist. He could go anywhere like this… go anywhere, do anything…to anyone. Perhaps he was not an elder vampire in the name of his father, but his powers as a vampire had evolved regardless. Everything was going according to plan, he thought, as he floated out of the window and down to his waiting horse. Quickly and somewhat painfully transfiguring back to his humanlike form, Foncé mounted Famine and pulled back on the reins, forcing the horse to take to the sky. The hoof beats sounded as if they were on rocky terrain instead of dancing in thin air. Nelson knew his charms well, Foncé mused. A powerful magician that could handle the dark spells that he knew. But could he truly trust him? Could he trust any of them with the spell that Malice feared, when Foncé feared it as well?

Above what Muggles thought was a large unassuming warehouse, Foncé noticed the three other horses hovering in air. They all heard him coming and had looked up as he approached, shifting their horses to the side so he could take his place to the left of Death.

"Well?" Bagman asked.

"Anyone of any consequence had already left before dark, due to the holiday, although the clan did gather a number of assistants and was questioning them. I stayed long enough to hear them question the agent in Mysteries. The only ones that know the identity of the minister are Malfoy, Craw, and Potter," Foncé explained.

"Then they have their work cut out for them, and it should be enough to keep both sides occupied," Bagman said. "Come, we have an errand to run."

"Very well, but I really don't see the point behind it," Amadeus admitted.

"No one has asked for you to give a reason behind your tasks, Longbottom. I suggest that it would be in your best interests to simply do your part and keep your mouth shut and do as your told unless its your particular task we are working on. And keep sharp, I do not know if we will be seen but we will be heard… it will be a sound that the entire country will soon learn to fear," Bagman said.

"They will learn to fear it tonight," Foncé said. "I will make certain of it. Take care to stay on your horses."

"They won't bolt, if you are planning to do what I think you're going to do," Nelson said, but Amadeus made a point to wrap his hand around one of the reins of his own mount. It was just in time, for Death had begun to move, the other three horses quickly jumping to remain at his side as he went into a full gallop towards a particular window.

* * *

Conner was in the regular waiting room, dozing over his cup of tea when Morfinn walked in.

"I thought the whole benefit of going into psychiatry was that you only had to deal with patients a half an hour at a time and you didn't have eighteen hour workdays like we do," Morfinn commented, his voice distinct enough that Conner had picked it up immediately.

"A few hours in the emergency room, and your work is done for the most part, and another day saved. My work takes months at best, years on average, and sometimes… even forever isn't enough," Conner murmured.

"We all have cases we're helpless to do anything about," Morfinn said slowly. "And even knowing that, we still try, don't we? You know, I don't think you can do anything more for her tonight. Why don't you try to salvage what little holiday you have left, or at least get a few hours sleep?"

"I can't, not until I'm sure that her prediction was just her imagination," Conner said. Morfinn stared at him. "Don't tell me, you think I'm crazy too, don't you?"

"Well, I was debating doing a research paper on whether or not insanity is contagious," Morfinn said. Conner chuckled.

"If you ever do, I'll gladly volunteer to take part in any experiments," Conner acknowledged. "I don't know, Morfinn, ever since that night… ever since I was a Hogwarts student, I have always felt a strange connection to Halloween and not in a very pleasant way. Typically I shut myself in and try to stay away from it all, but there was something about the way she said it. Something about how dead certain she was…"

"And she is without a doubt one hundred percent completely and totally insane," Morfinn said.

"Thanks for the redundancy, but I have noticed that already, you know," he chuckled. "Do you suppose the nurse would throw a fit if I…" whatever Conner was going to say, Morfinn never did learn, for it was just that moment that the two of them felt the building start to tremble. "Is that an earthquake?"

"Here in London?" Morfinn asked, steadying himself on a table since they were bolted down. "Wait, maybe it's a storm. I think I hear thunder."

Conner frowned, listening a moment.

"Wait, that's not thunder," Conner said with alarm, becoming wide-awake. "That's hoof beats!"

"What?" Morfinn said in confusion.

Conner ran towards the front door, pulling out his wand not knowing what to expect. But although the hoof beats sounded louder, he couldn't tell where they were coming from as he scanned the streets. It was then that he felt something… a foreboding, unexplainable fear that seemed to penetrate to the core of his being. But where was it coming from? Fighting off the urge to run, Conner turned and ran back inside.

"They have come. They have come at last!" Sibyl said in an almost wistful tone, taking a step away from the window. A bright light blinded her eyes as four spells hit the wall simultaneously, completely disintegrating it.

Fear washed over her, but it never seemed to touch her. Instead, it seemed to wrap around her like an old familiar friend she had long forgotten. It was pointless to be afraid now. It was pointless to do anything at all.

The door began to rattle, but before Conner and Morfinn could blast it open, the Four Horsemen had taken their prisoner. Staring at the open hole in the wall, the two of them held their hands over their ears to escape the sound of the hooves as four men dressed in black cloaks rode up into the sky, strange trails following the hooves. Fire came from one; a suffocating black smoke from another; a green glowing mist trailed the third, and blue flames trailed the last one as they disappeared above the clouds.

"P…please tell me I didn't see what I think I just saw," Morfinn got out shakily. "That was just some sort of illusion, right? Figments of the imagination?"

"That would seem to be the reasonable answer, wouldn't it?" Conner sighed, but then glanced at the gaping hole in the room and up towards the sky. "Unfortunately for us, I don't think there's any denying it now. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are real."

"So does that mean… this is the end?" Morfinn asked. Conner didn't answer at first, for a crowd of other doctors and nurses came in, gasping at the state of the room and the missing wall.

"Maybe," Conner admitted with a shrug. "But I doubt it's going to end without a fight."


	20. Aftermath

Chapter Twenty

Aftermath

Xavier Platt had been rummaging through the icebox when he started hearing a persistent chiming over the sound of running water. He went back to what he was doing for a few minutes, bringing out the rose wine and fixings for sandwiches, but the noise still wasn't letting up. Finally he gave in and walked through the bedroom, wrapping his knuckles several times on the bathroom door until the shower finally became quiet.

"What?" a voice called out.

"That contraption of yours is out here chirping its merry little head off. I thought you said it didn't work out here?" Xavier called in.

"It doesn't! Oh, wait, I hooked it to the Shell Line… hang on a minute."

"I couldn't care less and it'd suit me just fine if they just gave up. It's been going off for at least ten minutes," Xavier said.

"Really? You should have called me before! It sounds important!"

"It sounds like a contraption to me," Xavier admitted as a very damp Alex appeared when the door opened. "Nice costume."

"Don't talk to me about costumes! I can't believe that 'little business party' you had me roped into. My feet are still killing me from those shoes," Alex said with exasperation. "And you could have come up with a more flattering name for me…"

"Would you have preferred me to use your real one? That would have gone over well, considering who was there," Xavier said.

"Yes, and that's exactly why you won't talk me into another party again. If it hadn't been for that costume…where did I put that phone?" Alex scowled, searching the bureau. Xavier sighed, knowing that the likelihood of her getting back on the same subject again was next to none.

"I'm getting something reasonable to eat. Do you want something?"

"Anything that doesn't have Bertie Botts Beans in it. Honestly, what sort of twisted company menu was that?"

"Welcome to my world," Xavier said dryly.

"Ah, here it is!" Alex said, pulling out the phone and opening it up to make sure it was switched to 'Shell Mode' before finally answering it. "Yes, Alex speaking. Oh, it's just you. What do you want now, Rel?" She paused a moment. "Okay, why do I need to head home exactly?" she asked. Xavier leaned over the counter with a frown. "I don't see why you can't tell me now. Well, I'd like to have a better reason than 'because I asked you to,' thanks." Suddenly, she blinked, the color draining out of her face. "WHAT? You can't be serious! Was anyone hurt?" she demanded, frowning at the answer. "Yeah, okay, but let's meet outside the house if you don't mind. Sure. Fine, I'll be there in five minutes just let me… find my coat," she said, hanging up.

"I hope you find more than just your coat," Xavier ventured, but it was obvious from her expression she was in no mood for jokes. Without a comment, she hurried into the other room to get dressed. Xavier walked over and leaned on the door. "Don't tell me, it is another one of those situations where it's necessary for a Snape to come and save the world for them again."

"The Clan of the Sunset Dawn invaded the Ministry and now have it besieged," Alex explained quickly.

"Vampires?" Xavier said thoughtfully. "In that case, it'll be a short-term problem. All you have to do is wait until dawn and they'll either have to flee or they'll try to hole themselves up somewhere in the Ministry and all you'll have to do is pick them off."

"We can't wait them out! There are people still in there!" Alex snapped.

"It's a lost cause. Going in there would be nothing short of a death trap," Xavier sighed.  
"I don't believe in lost causes, Xavier, I'm sure you know that by now," Alex said briskly, tapping on her shoes and grabbing her coat.

"I suppose that's lucky for me, then, isn't it?" Xavier mused. Alex grinned at that and gave him a quick kiss.

"Sorry! I'll make it up to you later," she promised.

"Why else do you think I'm never sore when you leave?" he said, then waved her off unconcernedly. Alex nodded to him then reached into her pocket, grabbing the key side of the Port Key.

It was a horribly long jump that way from Polaris Town, but she had gotten so used to doing it after one emergency or another that she no longer considered the risks any longer. A cold sweat had broken out on her brow by the time she arrived in front of the house on Baker Street and was a little off-balance, but a hand reached out and was quick to steady her.

"There you are," Aurelius sighed. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, although it's a bit colder here than I expected. Lead the way," Alex insisted, and Aurelius Disapparated. Alex Disapparated after him and soon found herself on the street in front of the Ministry which was surrounded by police barricades to keep Muggles out of the area. Inside the barriers stood a great number of people, mostly Ministers, Aurors and Enforcers, staring up at the dark building in front of them with somber looks on their faces.

"This reminds me so much of the Azkaban revolt," Eric said somberly.

"Me too, and I can't stand all this waiting," Tonks complained. "How about letting a group of volunteer Aurors and Enforcers go in there and weed them out?"

"They're probably expecting us to do something like that. You'd be going into a death trap," Eric said.

"Not if we know to expect them to be expecting us…"

"I am not authorizing any task forces," Draco said firmly.

"I agree with the Minister," Thomas said. "Given their limitations, the best thing to do at this point would be to wait until dawn. At that point, they'll have to flee, else they'll be at such a disadvantage that we should be able to easily clean them out." Alex growled deep in her throat in a way that made Aurelius raise an eyebrow at her. Thomas turned around briefly to see who had come up behind them. "About time you got here."

"Are you really so content on letting those people in there die?" Alex snapped.

"This has been going on for well over an hour now, Alex. I'm afraid it doesn't look good for anyone who happened to have stayed over," Harry admitted quietly. "All we can do at this point is hope they had enough sense to take cover and can survive until morning."

"And anyone incapable of that probably died minutes after they entered, assuming the vampires aren't just adding them to the ranks," Thomas agreed.

"Doubtful. They're more than likely to drain them and execute them under these circumstances, but not until they've been questioned," Harry sighed.

"Weasley, start questioning different departments and get some sort of list of who might have stayed over. I want to know who all was in there and what they might know. Are all the Ministers accounted for?" Draco asked.

"No, sir. We've been having trouble rounding everyone up considering the holiday. Many are still at social events," Percy explained.

"Damn the excuses, Weasley, go find them," Draco snapped. Percy sighed and Disapparated. It was less than two minutes later that Ron had stepped up as if to take his place. "Oh no, not you."

"I came as soon as I heard… although now I'm wondering why I hadn't heard sooner," Ron said, looking over at Harry.

"I have been busy. Where have you been?" Harry asked.

"Went to my parents after I couldn't get in Hogwarts… that place is locked up so tight I couldn't even get any word to Hermione to find out what was going on," Ron complained.

"Can you blame Severus for that considering what's happened?" Harry challenged him.

"No, I just blame you," Ron said, staring at the building. "Has anyone or anything come out of there yet?"

"Potter, stop feeding the press. They'll only bite you back if you do," Thomas said, not taking his eyes off the building. Harry sighed.

"Did you hear what happened at St. Mungo's?" Ron asked, getting their intention again. "Someone blew a hole out in one of the rooms and kidnapped old Trelawney straight out of her bed, some men on flying horses…"

"WHAT!" Aurelius exclaimed, completely aghast.

"Why didn't anyone tell us about this before?" Harry demanded.

"Now you know how I feel. I think it's probably because they know you guys have your hands full…"

"Never mind! I'm going to look into it now," Aurelius snapped angrily, Disapparating.

"Who in their right mind would go to that much trouble to kidnap that crazy old hag?" Draco asked, looking quite baffled.

"Someone who apparently knows too much," Thomas said.

"About what?" Ron asked.

"Nothing that's any of your business," Alex said, looking quite agitated.

"I'm the editor of the _Daily Prophet_. Everything is my business," Ron said, receiving dirty looks in return.

Suddenly there was a pop from behind them as Adler Bosworth arrived. He took a quick glance around before hurrying over to Thomas. Thomas couldn't help but take a good long look at his assistant, who was dressed like a harlequin, complete with tights.

"Is there something about you I should know about, Bosworth?" Thomas asked flatly. Adler glanced at his own attire but then waved away the scrutiny.

"I was at Coventry's masquerade party, Minister. I came straight over the moment I heard," Adler explained, accepting the dark coat that Thomas hand managed to bring out of his cloak pocket. "Is the Ministry building truly besieged by vampires?"

"Can you think of any other reason we'd be standing out here?" Thomas asked curtly. "The Enforcers have a ground perimeter and Potter has several Aurors watching the skies. Hopefully we can catch some of the bloodsuckers when they leave, since not all of them know how to Apparate. Harry, any idea how many of that clan are wizards other than Foncé?"

"Your pardon, sir, but Foncé isn't among them," Adler said. Thomas and Harry both gazed at him in surprise. "He attended Coventry's party tonight. In fact, I believe he provided the wine."

"Then go back to the party, I want him brought in for questioning… on second thought, I think I'll go myself. I want to see who else is that party looking for convenient alibis," Thomas said curtly. "You can stay here and keep track of the Enforcers on the perimeter."

"If Foncé is making a point to stay out of this, perhaps he can be useful for establishing some sort of parlay," Alex said.

"Alex, you can't negotiate with vampires when they're in a bloodlust state, they're not alive," Thomas said impatiently. "They have two states of being; hunting or feasting, hungry or gorging. They may be willing to negotiate with humans when they're hungry, but when they do, it's because they're quite sure that eventually they'll get a meal out of the deal. Anyone who tries to reason with a vampire is a fool, because any agreements they might be willing to make do nothing but further their cause."

"I agree," Draco said. "And as such, there can be only one response for this. Editor Weasley, you may take note that I am officially denouncing the actions of the Donnacht clan as an act of war against the Ministry of Magic. I am going to call an emergency Council Meeting tomorrow recommending that we respond accordingly."

"We are going to be declaring war, sir?" Adler asked.

"If I have my way about it," Draco snapped. "And I won't rest peacefully until every single one of them are destroyed."

* * *

Copper croaked a challenge, and Leu woke up to a dark room and an uncomfortable position, staring up at a vaulted ceiling full of twinkling stars. He then noticed a shadowed figure above him. The figure tapped Copper warningly on the nose, but as he stood back up, Leu recognized who it was.

"Father?" Leu whispered.

"Go back to sleep," Severus said softly. "We have an hour or two yet before dawn still."

"Is everything going to be all right?" Leu asked seriously.

"Everything is quiet at the moment… except that toad of yours," he added disapprovingly. "Now turn over and try to get some rest. You have classes in the morning, you know."

"Can't you cancel them?"

"Am I the Headmaster, or are you? Go back to sleep," Severus said firmly. Leu sighed, glancing beside him. Noah was curled up in a ball, hovering an inch above the floor.

"I wish I could sleep on air," Leu murmured, pulling his sleeping back over his shoulders and trying to get comfortable.

"And don't use that word," Severus hissed at him before finally moving down the row, careful not to step on the students who had shifted into the path in their sleep. He heard a soft chime and picked up the pace, slipping out the door and into the staff room which was well lit despite the hour. He then took out a mirror and gazed into it to see Aurelius on the other end. "Yes? Find out anything?"

"Nothing conclusive," Aurelius said on his end, holding the mirror up so that the missing hospital wall could be plainly seen in the reflection. "I'd have guessed it was some sort of basic breaking spell if it wasn't so powerful, and yet it had too much precision to be any sort of blasting spell; nothing in the room other than that wall and the window that was in it was damaged in any way, not even the lamp or the crystal vase sitting in the corner. Conner and Bliant were in too much shock to have seen any detail or exactly where they went, so I'm going to head home and grab a Pensieve to see if I notice anything in the encounter."

"Good idea," Severus agreed.

"I also think it's interesting that this encounter with these so-called 'Four Horsemen' happened at the same time that the Ministry was being overrun with vampires," Aurelius added.

"Yes, I think it's highly unlikely that was a coincidence. Whoever is behind this wanted to be seen but only by those who had no chance of either catching them or identifying them," Severus mused. "We are dealing with someone who seems to have mastered manipulation to the point of being an art form…the vampires, the Ministry, and these Four Horsemen who reek more of dark wizardry than some sort of otherworldly event. A real manifestation of Armageddon if there is such a thing would _not_ care how many people are watching their arrival."

"Good point," Aurelius agreed. "I also don't think they'd pick Trelawney as a first target. You know why she was taken, don't you?"

"It is a bit early to lock down motive, Aurelius," Severus warned. "Sibyl had a way of getting on everyone's nerves, including students, even when she was… cohesive," he finished, unable to bring himself to admit that the woman was ever even remotely sane.

"It may be early for you, but I've been keeping secrets all my life and I know when one is starting to unravel," Aurelius said seriously. "It might be a slow unravel at the moment, but it is definitely starting to come apart. Whoever is behind this has guessed the truth and that is the one and only reason she was taken. They don't want this getting out any more than you do, and the only reason that they'd be willing to keep that secret were if they were planning to use it for themselves."

"Very well, I can accept that as a logical conclusion to what happened to Trelawney's apparent kidnapping," Severus said. "However, that does not explain why anyone would go to such lengths to pit the Donnacht clan against the Ministry. I highly doubt that anyone would go to such lengths simply as a diversion for something like this."

"I agree, there's still more going on here that we don't know," Aurelius said grimly. "Whoever is behind this seems to have more than one motive."

"And the means to manipulate large numbers of people into doing exactly what he or she wants, without lifting a finger of his own," Severus mused.

"So in other words, we're fighting someone like Mycroft Holmes," Aurelius said, catching a dark glint in his father's eyes.

"Isn't that a frightening analogy?" Severus said, and then paused. "I'll speak to you about it later. Try to get some rest. I doubt anything else will happen tonight."

"Thanks, but I'm waiting until dawn for a nap anyway," Aurelius said dryly.

"I don't blame you, especially considering that I'm doing the same," Severus admitted before putting away the mirror. There was a soft knock at the door, accompanied by an unmistakable cooing sound. "Come in, Jennifer," he called out, and she peered inside, while Quintin started to grin when he saw who was there. "Please tell me you didn't take him on security patrol with you."

"No, Andrew was watching him. I just picked him up," Jennifer explained, stepping in. "In fact, I got all the way up to the room first. Are you alone? I thought I heard you talking."

"Yes, I was getting an update from Aurelius, but things seem to be quieting down on his end. Why are you back downstairs?" Severus asked.

"Oh, Revere. I found him waiting in your sitting room," Jennifer explained, pulling out a letter in an official Ministry envelope. "I hope that's not a casualty list."

"I have no doubt that there will be one, Jennifer, but I have a feeling it is too soon for that," Severus admitted, opening it and reading it over. "'Emergency Council Meeting at one P.M. on a matter of national security. No excuses accepted.'"

"Do you have any classes this afternoon?" Jennifer asked.

"Ancient Runes year one. I'll see if Tangent can cover it," Severus decided. "Let's go see if Hermione is awake. I have some other arrangements I want to make before I leave the school."

* * *

As they sky began to grow purple and a blood-red line began to appear behind the buildings, a flurry of bats seemed to erupt out of the building. Wand blasts came at them from every angle and a chaotic battle scene ensued, but it didn't last long. Within minutes those who couldn't Disapparate had fled.

"Don't go after them!" Thomas barked at his men. "Now is not the time for us to risk any more lives! We need to search the Ministry at once!"

"I'll have my private guard assist them," Draco said, a pair of shadows detaching from the buildings behind them and hurrying inside. "Search everywhere, and beware of dark places in case some of them decided to try and hole themselves up in there!"

"Need some help?" Tonks asked.

"I need to check on Very," Harry said.

"Yes, everyone check on those they know for certain stayed behind first, but make sure you're not alone… Alex, take Sal with you," Thomas said, pointing at one of his officers.

"Thanks," Alex said, the two of them walking in together with their wands out as well.

"Hey, wait up," Aurelius said, dropping out of the sky on his broom and hurrying to catch up with Harry and Tonks.

"Check the Artifacts department while you're over there," Thomas suggested before turning his attention to organizing the other officers.

"Do you think he stood a chance?" Tonk asked in a lowered voice.

"Sure," Harry said. "If he was alert at the time," he added reluctantly. Tonk's face fell.

"Not very likely, is it?" Aurelius said.

"We can at least try to be optimistic about it," Harry decided. "Either way, we'll know soon enough," he said, getting to the door. Tonks stopped short.

"You go in first," Tonks decided, Harry and Aurelius both gazing at her. "I'm sorry I… well, I've known him longer than either of you. I remember what he was like when I first began training and all…"

"It's okay, we got it," Harry said with an understanding nod, glancing at Aurelius who changed his stance to cover for him. "All right, here it goes." Cautiously, he stepped in, peering behind the door and then opening the two doors in the back of the room with a tap of the wand to see into the offices. "It appears to be empty, although it has been ransacked a bit," he explained, walking over to the door of his office. Aurelius followed suit and peered into his, while Tonks cautiously looked inside the door at what was left of Very's work and the empty map board. She whistled low.

"Not a single flag left on it. Think the Minister's office is the same way?"

"I don't know, the Minister's office has a lot more security on it than this one, including the trick doors," Harry said. "Let's hope the flag board in there is in tact. Otherwise, we have a lot of work to do remembering who all we were tracking."

"Oh well, it'll be a nice refresher course, the who's who of criminals for any other Aurors who might come back after this," Tonks said. Harry looked at her thoughtfully.

"Is that a hint?"

"I hate vampires. Besides, I don't think I'm cut out for this retirement thing…"

"That would explain how come you keep coming back to the department multiple times," Aurelius agreed, and then looked over his shoulder when he heard glass break.

"Sorry, that was just the lantern," she explained, Harry and Aurelius glancing at each other briefly before looking over their offices.

"My office seems to have been ransacked as well… mostly it looks like someone was going through paperwork," Harry said.

"Same here," Aurelius said.

"What do you suppose were they looking for?" Tonks asked.

"Trying to find out who the Minister of Mysteries might be, more than likely, considering what Foncé said," Aurelius said.

"Oh yeah? Do you know who it is?" Tonks said curiously.

"I think the more important question is, do they know who it is," Harry parried and then stepped back out, looking in the other doorway. "Rel?"

"I don't think so," Aurelius decided after pondering it only a moment. "No, I'm quite sure they don't."

"And there's no sign of Very here," Tonks said, glancing around the front room. "Not even that much sign of a struggle."

"Maybe we'd better go check the Artifacts office," Harry suggested, locking his office door. Aurelius did the same and then the department door after that before the three of them went down the corridor. "Anybody know if anyone was working late in this office?"

"Not a clue," Aurelius admitted. "But they're not known for staying over in this office if they don't have to, especially Mr. Coffers, and this was a holiday."

"True," Harry said, checking the handle but it turned easily. "Isn't locked, so someone might have been here," he said, waiting for the other two to cover him before opening it further. "Oh, no. The vault's open," Harry groaned. Aurelius groaned as well and the two of them went over there, leaving Tonks to guard them as they stepped over to peer in the vault. "Well, at least it isn't completely empty," he said when he saw stacks of boxes throughout. "But who knows if they took anything. I'm afraid we're going to have to take inventory again."

"The filing room door as open as well," Aurelius said. He peered in only a moment to see papers, scrolls, and priceless old tomes tossed on the floor. "Mr. Coffers doesn't have heart trouble or anything, right?"

"I don't think so…" Harry said.

"Good," Aurelius said, shutting the door.

"That bad?" Harry said, and Aurelius nodded.

"Was there a corpse in there?" Tonk asked.

"No, no corpses," Aurelius said. "Although I'm suddenly getting the feeling that we aren't going to find any."

It was several departments later before they ran into another team of searchers, stopping long enough to discuss what rooms had been covered before they chose new directions.

"What do you suppose happened to all the people that were still working last night?" Tonks asked after they went through the Goblin Affairs office, more than a bit impressed with the amount of traps they had been able to disarm in the process of going through it.

"They must have taken them with them for later use," Harry said.

"So there's still a chance they're still alive?" Tonks mused.

"I wouldn't count on it. They might have also simply rounded them up somewhere to make them easier to feast on then slaughter," Harry said. Tonks blanched and grimaced. "Sorry, even I am having trouble being optimistic about this… about as optimistic as I am about finding anyone alive in here."

"Auror Potter! Over here, I think we've found something!" One of the Enforcers said with such excitement that the three of them broke out into a run to get over to him, following him down a flight of stairs to a heavy reinforced door.

"This is Archives, isn't it?" Tonks asked.

"Yes, and we think there's someone in there. The door is bolted from the inside," the enforcer said.

"Maybe some of the vampires ran out of time and thought it'd be a nice place to hole up," Tonks suggested. "Speaking of holes, anyone have one?"

"It wouldn't do any good, this door is too thick," Harry said. "The office has been reinforced for fire and disaster prevention to protect the records in here."

"Maybe the Artifacts department should take a hint. Their vault was wide open," Tonks said dryly.

"True, but it was only locked from the outside. Someone get Malfoy down here, he'll know if there are any catch phrases on the door to open it in an emergency," Harry said.

One of the LE officers quickly hurried back up the stairs. In the meantime, Tonks and the other officer went around to check out adjacent areas as well as the small break room at the top of the stairs (where they made certain the coffee and water pots were put on the burners.) But it wasn't long before Draco arrived with Alex and two of his shadows.

"I have just the thing! I borrowed this from Mysteries," Alex said, taking out a charmed bicycle wrench. "I call it… the Sonorous Spanner!"

"Yes. How very original," Aurelius said sarcastically as Alex put the wrench next to the crack in the door. She murmured a spell and it began to glow, a ghostly image of the wrench extending out and squeezing into the tiny crack. Waiting until she felt a tug in her hand, she finally put pressure on the wrench until they all heard the sound of door locks being pushed back.

"There you see? No problem," Alex said smugly. But when she stepped back, the door still didn't budge. Aurelius glared at her accusingly. "What? It did work! It must be stuck for some other reason!"

"Wait, I think she's right," Harry said, leaning his head against the wall next to the door. "Aurelius, try pulling on it again." Several of the guards joined in to try and help, straining to pull it back.

"Anyone got a strength potion?" Tonks ventured.

"I saw something in the opening when the door was pulled back… I think it's being tethered on the other side somehow… ropes, chains, something of the sort," Harry explained. "Can we simply take the door off so we can push it in?"

"This door is goblin made, Potter. We wouldn't be able to get it off without their help," Draco said.

"If it's chained somehow, do you think any of our rescue spells might do the trick?" Tonks wondered.

"Definitely worth a shot, but I need line of sight. Think you can pull the door back again?"

"This time, I will do it with a potion," Aurelius decided, pulling one out of his cloak and passing it around before they attempted the door again. This time, the door pulled ajar with a full half-inch gap, and Harry found he had more than enough room to get his wand in to unravel the ropes. There was a sudden jolt as the door broke free of the ropes, and those pulling on the door were tossed into the wall, moaning in protest.

"Well done!" Alex said in appreciation. "Everyone all right?"

"Don't get too comfortable, we don't know what is in here yet," Harry warned them, still holding his wand cautiously out in front of him.

"NO ENTRY without prior authorization, by order of the Minister of Magic!" a voice boomed from behind one of the bookcases.

"What?" Draco said, pushing Harry's wand aside distractedly as he stepped into the room. "Plumeria?"

There was a short moment of silence before the old minister peered out from behind the case, focusing in on him.

"Draco? Is it morning then?" she asked. Draco let out a laugh that made Harry take another healthy step back from him.

"What a resourceful old hag you are, and after losing most of your magic!" Draco said, looking over the climbing ropes she had used, quite impressed.

"I beg your pardon!" she huffed.

"Did you find the ropes in the Artifacts department?" Harry asked

"I grabbed them from the Games and Sports Department if you must know, but I had very little choice!" she had indignantly.

"Obviously," Draco agreed.

"It's quite all right, Minister Plum. It's just a relief to see that someone managed to survive last night," Harry explained.

"Why? What happened to the others?" Plumeria asked.

"We don't know, really. We haven't found any others… unless you have?" Harry asked Alex and Draco. Alex shook her head.

"No, just empty desks and totaled offices. We have seen some signs of a struggle in the LE Department… they must have taken them all," Alex said quietly.

"If the clan took them, we're not likely to see any of them again," Harry said somberly. "At least, I hope we don't."

* * *

Leu woke up to the sun in his eyes and students shuffling about him picking up their things.

"Rise and shine! Everyone needs to get up so we can put the tables back in place for breakfast!" Professor Scribe said, clapping her hands insistently.

"I think I ate too much candy last night," Jimmy moaned.

"That may be, but I'm sure a proper breakfast will fix it. Up you go, now!" Scribe insisted.

"Well, I don't mind getting up because I am hungry, although I'm not looking forward to classes today because I didn't sleep very well," Leu admitted.

"I don't think anyone slept well," Keir agreed. "Why did the Headmaster insist we all have to stay here, anyhow? It might have been fun for an hour or two, but personally I'd rather have gotten back to my own bed."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Box, sometimes these things can't be helped," Professor Scribe said. "But I'm quite sure that your professors will take your current situations into consideration, but first let's get everyone ready for breakfast. If anyone needs to use the restrooms, you may go to the ones across the corridor, but please don't return to your rooms until you're released."

"Yes, but what about our post and newspapers?" Delia asked impatiently, glaring at all the closed windows above them.

"I have a feeling you'll be getting that once everyone is settled and Professor Weasley has a chance to speak with all of you," Professor Scribe reassured her. Delia folded her arms.

"Come on, Delia. The sooner we do what we're told, the sooner we find out what is going on," Mike said, tugging her arm. Reluctantly she sighed and followed, the two of them taking seats across from where Ambrose and Winnie were sitting.

"This had better be good. I'm not used to being cut off from my information sources like this," Delia said.

"I wonder if this has anything to do with what happened in Divination last night?" Ambrose murmured.

"I suppose we're going to find out soon enough," Winnie said, nodding towards the back of the Great Hall.

Professor Weasley walked in to find all the students assembled at their tables, despite looking sleepy and still being in their pajamas. She smiled sympathetically.

"Good morning. I hope all of you all slept well," she said, getting blank stares in return. "No, I suppose not," she chuckled. "Still, sleepovers can be fun, but I'm sure you have all figured out by now that's not why we did it. I suppose a great many of you are wondering about why so many of our guests last evening left so quickly after getting here, and why we put the castle on lockdown," she continued, meeting a unified silence.

"Well, the truth about that is there was an unexpected attack on the Ministry building last night by vampires. You may have heard of the Clan of the Sunset Dawn," she said, a soft worried murmur breaking out. "I have been given an estimate of about a hundred of them, although I'm not sure how accurate that is, and because of the holiday, the Ministry was unusually vacant that time of the evening. So I suppose the good news is that the majority of Ministers and workers had long left before that point. Since dawn, the Ministry building has now been secured and they are busy assessing casualties and damage, so we'll know more about that later.

"You're probably wondering then how this is going to affect us," Hermione said. "First off, some good news… after breakfast, you are expected to check in with all of your morning classes to turn in and pick up homework, but all class time is suspended until noon." A general sigh of relief and approval came out of the students. "After that, class schedules will return to normal for the most part, although there may be some slight itinerary changes, especially in Astrology. There are also some general rule changes, although I don't think they'll be surprising. Curfew for the grounds is now dusk; you should not be outside the castle after that without faculty accompaniment. You are also encouraged to let staff know of any strange dreams, memory losses or unexplained feelings of fear that you might experience. Anything else that might come up will be gone over by Commander Bellamy in your regular class times. Other than that, you're encouraged to conduct your activities as usual, and any questions about procedure changes can be taken up with your advisors. Thanks for the undivided attention, have a good breakfast, and don't forget to pick up your homework before heading to your house rooms."

Maurice's side of the table watched anxiously as Professor Weasley passed by, half-afraid, half disappointed that she hadn't stopped to talk to them.

"There, you see? She wouldn't have walked on like that if anything had happened to your parents," Garvan said.

"Perhaps she doesn't know yet," Cain said.

"Well, maybe she doesn't, but we'll know soon. Look! Here comes the post!" Maurice said, pointing up. Everyone looked up to discover that the windows had silently opened at some point during the professor's speech, and even now the owls roosting outside began soaring in. Maurice snatched up his paper in one hand, but his eyes never left the windows until he saw the raven fly in. "Maybe now we'll get some answers."

"I have a letter from my father!" Max said with some relief as other letters dropped down to the tables. "I'm so glad he wasn't working late!"

"Apparently neither was mine," Helena said, holding up one of her own.

"What did they say about it?" Garvan asked impatiently.

"My father says he went to my aunt's and didn't find out about it until he found an owl waiting for him at the house around midnight. In other words, he's as clueless as we are," Max admitted ruefully.

"My father is exactly the opposite," Helena said with annoyance. "He said he arrived moments after the Minister of Magic did, but his only other comments were that he's all right and 'not to worry about anything the press might get hold of' and to concentrate on school affairs. What exactly does he expect me to do? Storm the Ministry myself and demand to solve all their problems or something?"

"Coming from a family full of Gryffindors, yes, I expect that's exactly what he's thinking," Cain said. Helena made a face at him. "Never mind that, what's _really_ going on, Maurice?" he asked, glancing at the boy still absorbed in his letter. "How bad is it?"

"Bad," Maurice admitted, folding the letter so it was back towards the top. "The official list at the moment is thirteen wizards and wizards missing and two goblins, with one known survivor, Minister Plum."

"Minister Plum survived?" Helena repeated.

"Not even the vampires want anything to do with that sour old bat," Max snorted. "What else does he say, Maurice?"

"He says that that Minister is planning to treat this attack as if it were a foreign state and will be asking the Wizard's Council to do the same, but that he is less worried about that and more worried about what might have been taken out of the Ministry and what information might have been compromised," Maurice said with a sigh, folding up the note. "Apparently, the vampires ransacked all the offices, and he thinks there may have been something exposing the Warden of Azkaban in his. He just doesn't know if he caught it, considering who they were really looking for."

"Your father knows who the Warden of Azkaban is?" Cain interrupted, taking a keener interest.

"Of course he does, he was on the committee that put him there," Maurice said evenly.

"Do you know who he is?" Cain asked.

"Yes, of course…"

"Then who is he?"

"Cain, even if you weren't the son of someone directly under the current Warden, I still couldn't tell you. I took a Craw oath of confidence and I'm certainly not going to break it," Maurice explained, Cain frowning at him warily in return. "Besides, if you did know and it got back to your father, then chances are it would comprise how he conducted his position and it'd ultimately get him sacked. Do you really want that?"

"Is that a trick question?" Cain asked. Maurice simply gazed at him evenly. "No, I suppose I wouldn't, although I personally wish he'd have chosen some other sort of work."

"It's a tough job that someone has to do regardless. I admire his courage," Maurice said, putting back the letter.

"You said something about 'considering who they were really looking for,'" Helena said thoughtfully. "Does that mean the vampires were looking for someone specific?"

"Yes, that you should have guessed already considering the newspapers recently," Maurice said. "They were looking for the Minister of Mysteries. Fortunately, my father doesn't think that was exposed at all in the process, because there is no paper trail and none of the people who know were at the Ministry at the time."

"Including you, I suppose," Cain challenged him dubiously.

"Yes, but don't even bother asking," Maurice said, gesturing that he took an oath for that as well. "So what are the papers saying about all of this?"

"Oh, right," Garvan said, suddenly remembering it was his turn to read the paper again. But as he was glancing over the article, he gasped. "What!"

"What's wrong?" Helena asked.

"Due to the assault, an emergency council meeting will be held today to officially declare war on the Donnacht Clan. A war against the vampires!" Garvan gawked.

"That's what my father meant by treating them as a foreign power," Maurice explained. "It'll give them a lot more freedom on how the matter will be handled as opposed to an internal affair."

"Do you think the Council will agree to it?" Garvan asked.

"Indeed, sir," said someone behind them, and they all looked up to see Bellamy had walked up and was reading over Garvan's shoulder with a glint in his eye they hadn't seen before. "I wouldn't be surprised if the response to this was overwhelming and quite disappointed if it's not unanimous. An attack on the Ministry like this is an attack on us all, and we must defend our country against these foreign invaders. I myself am waiting to see how this turns out, but if it goes the way I believe it will, I may have to resign to serve my country once more. Chin up! It won't be long before we'll beat those bloodsuckers into submission! Destroy every last one of them, I say! With any luck, I can be recommissioned so I can join the front line," he declared before marching off.

"They say there's a bit of good out that comes out of everything," Garvan murmured under his breath. The others smirked at him, nodding in agreement.

* * *

The mood was quite somber in the council room. Paper still littered the floor, a stark reminder of what happened the night before, while a very tired Percival Weasley waited for the secretary to fully read out the denouncement and declaration of war to the Wizard Council. Not one seat was empty, despite the early hour and the short notice. Finally, he called for the vote and everyone stood… everyone, it seemed, except Severus Snape. Strangely enough, Percy could pick him out behind all of those who stood… the one lone dissenter in the wave of outrage.

"All opposed?" Percy asked. Everyone sat down, gazing at him as if rather insulted by his even calling it. But Percy gazed straight at Severus curiously. Severus simply sat there in the same position he had for the other vote with his arms folded and looking off as if disinterested in the question. "Then let it be known that the declaration passed by a vast majority."

"What? Not unanimous?" Balmweed said in surprise and annoyance.

"No, sir, not quite," Percy said. "I don't suppose there will be any other business conducted this afternoon, so shall we have a motion to close? The Ministers are going to have a lot of work to do."

That vote, it seemed, was quite unanimous. As everyone began to get up and talk, it didn't take long for Draco to step up and question Percy about who the troublemaker was. He then stormed over to a large group that had formed around Severus and Harry.

"Do you care to explain what just happened?" Draco demanded as he stepped into the circle of them.

"I believe we just declared war on the Donnacht, Minister," Severus said evenly, taking a few casual steps away from the group.

"A vote in which you alone abstained," Draco snapped, following him.

"Yes," Severus acknowledged.

"Care to explain why?" Draco demanded, glancing around to find the two were now standing alone in the back of the council chamber.

"Because we are being manipulated," Severus said in a low voice. "Not only the Ministry, but the clan of the Sunset Dawn as well. Someone or a group of someones framed the Ministry in hopes that something like this would happen."

"Obviously, but that doesn't mean we can ignore a direct attack made on the government and its civil servants, especially one of this magnitude!" Draco snapped.

"No, I didn't suggest that you should," Severus shrugged. "But I could not in good conscience agree to go along with this. I will not allow myself to be manipulated in this scheme, especially when none of us have any idea on what the motive for it is. And I am certainly not going to allow myself get swept up in this raging river, or my faculty for that matter."

"I suppose that sort of response is what I should have expected from you, looking after your own self interests…"

"I'm looking out for the interests of Hogwarts, Draco," Severus said calmly. "And as far as this war is concerned, I intend to keep the school out of harms way as much as possible… as should be the job of any Headmaster in a time like this."

"Fine. But you won't have any luck trying to keep your entire family out of this," Draco warned him.

"No, I don't suppose I will," Severus said, glancing over to where Thomas, Aurelius and Alex stood, talking about the war ahead of them.


	21. Drawing the Lines

Chapter Twenty-One

Drawing the Lines

Jennifer didn't waste much time getting the lab straightened that night after classes. After a quick stop in the library and then to the nursery to pick up Quintin, she arrived upstairs to find Severus busy finishing up a last minute proposal for the board before their scheduled dinner in the study.

"How are Lucky and Leu taking this? I suppose word has spread through the school by now that it's official," Severus said, double checking his last paragraph.

"So it has," Jennifer said, putting Quintin in the crib and making sure he was comfortable. "They seem quite all right with it, perhaps even a little excited in a way, but then it's not their parents in the line of fire. Lucky is more concerned about some of her friends right now… so is Maurice, for that matter. I'm afraid Maurice has come to the conclusion that our father is completely indestructible."

"Yes, I came to a similar conclusion years ago," Severus said evenly. Jennifer sighed at him. "Don't worry about Thomas, Jennifer. He's more than a match for any vampire…"

"One, not an army. And do I have to remind you what happened when I tried to use dark magic on someone in that clan? That's practically the only magic father knows!"

"Oh, nonsense. He graduated at the top of his class when he went to Hogwarts, there's a plaque with his name to prove it in the Trophy Room. And besides, you know perfectly well what he was capable of doing when he had no magic at all. You have no reason to worry. If you must worry about something, worry about this entire situation in general and what might be behind it. Whoever is responsible for kidnapping Sibyl is behind this vampire war, Jennifer. And that same person not only knows that I have the Stone, but is quite interested in it."

"How do you know?"

"Because it's the only logical reason that anyone would want Sibyl out of the way," Severus said. "One if not all of those four horsemen must know the truth."

"Well, if they care whether the stone exists, they're certainly not immortal beings or mystic manifestations," Jennifer said.

"No, they are four wizards or witches, although who they might be or which one might be behind all this is hard to say considering how little we have to go on. That will change, however… this is just the beginning, and sooner or later, they will be coming this way, not they'll ever find it," Severus said.

"Well, perhaps not, Severus," Jennifer said, glancing at the crib. "But considering where Quintin sleeps, I shudder to think them coming in here looking for it."

"They wouldn't be looking if we were here, and there's no time that Quintin is ever left alone…"

"Except for that once that he scooted out the Door Lift, you mean…"

"Jennifer, must you bring up that incident every day and at every given opportunity? You never let things go do you," Severus said irritably, getting only an enigmatic smile in return. "He'll be twenty five and married and you'll still be bringing it up every day just to pester me." Jennifer laughed at that, but before he could come up with an appropriate threat, he noticed the quill to his appointment book flipping back several pages to the current date and time. "I wondered how long it would take Ace to get around to me."

"Should I leave?" Jennifer asked.

"Don't bother, you already know what it's about," Severus shrugged.

"Very well," Jennifer said, using the time it took him to get up the stairs to hand Quintin a bottle.

There was a sharp tap on the doors, and they opened to reveal Bellamy in his finest uniform and even his flight helmet as he marched up to the desk.

"Sir! I have come to you over a matter of most import," Bellamy declared.

"Oh, have you. Jennifer and I were about to have dinner, care to join us?" Severus asked unconcernedly, completely unsurprised by his attire.

"I'm afraid there's no time for that. You see, I have recently learned that it is now official; the Ministry of Magic and its constituents are at war with the vampires!" Bellamy said solemnly.

"Just the Donnacht clan of vampires, Bellamy, and yes, I know. I was at that council meeting," Severus said calmly. "Tea?"

"No time for that either, sir…"

"No time for tea? How very un-British of you," Severus commented. Jennifer turned around to hide the fact that she couldn't keep a straight face.

"I have come to tender my resignation, sir, for I plan to reenlist in the Royal Broom Force. I must go back to serve in our country's hour of need!" Bellamy explained, standing at attention.

"I see. Request denied, you have plenty of time for dinner now…"

"What? You can't deny my request. I can leave whenever I like!"

"Did you bother reading your contract before you signed it, Mr. Bellamy? Short of family crisis or personal injury, you are to give me nine month's notice or the end of term, whichever comes first. If you leave, you'll be under a breach of contract," Severus pointed out.

"But we're under attack, sir!"

"We've faced much worse enemies in recent years compared to this clan of vampires, Mr. Bellamy," Severus said seriously. "Death Eaters that at one point were just as numerous and could strike at any time…"

"That was an internal affair sir…"

"And Ciardoth, which tried not to only destroy the human race but the entire universe…"

"One can't declare war against one woman either," Bellamy sighed impatiently.

"And yet after this country faced these obstacles, you expect me to overreact to a clan of angry vampires?" Severus asked.

"Sir, I am not asking you anything. I am simply informing you that I plan to leave whether you approve or not. If there is one thing I have learned from entering this retirement is that I am still a soldier at heart, sir, and if this country is being attacked, I want to be on the front lines where I belong!" Bellamy said. Severus gazed at him fixedly for a long time.

"So, you agree with me that you belong on the front lines of this assault," Severus said.

"Yes, sir!" Bellamy said firmly, wondering exactly when Severus agreed with him at all.

"Good," Severus said. "Have some tea. Let's discuss your current agenda." Bellamy stared at him dumbfounded as Severus handed a cup out to him.

"Are you completely mad?" Bellamy said, refusing to take the cup.

"No, that would probably be counterproductive at a time like this," Severus said.

"Ace, what my husband is trying to tell you is that Hogwarts is the front line," Jennifer said quietly. "Ask anyone at the Ministry including the Minister of Magic himself and they will doubtless inform you the same. The war with Voldemort ended here, the war with Ciardoth ended here, and regardless of whom it is we're truly fighting, this current war will end here."

"I couldn't have put it better myself," Severus agreed.

"Surely you can't truly believe that! This attack by the Donnacht clan has nothing to do with Hogwarts, let alone you personally!" Bellamy said in complete disbelief.

"I see. Armando, would you see if Mr. Pyther and his family are free to join us for dinner?" Severus said, Jennifer suddenly breaking out into a brilliant smile. "See if they can't get Aurelius here as well. Mr. Bellamy, you may as well sit down, you'll be here for the rest of the evening. But if by the end of it you still want to leave, be my guest, but not without being fully aware of just what it is you are walking away from."

"One evening, and you'll let me out of the contract?" Bellamy said.

"If that is what you want," Severus said.

After skipping his morning jog to finish marking some papers, Commander Bellamy returned to the classroom the next morning.

* * *

As dusk fell across the Ministry, it was a very different place than it had been the night before. Corded off areas outside had been explained away with every excuse from gas leaks to sewage, while hexed wooden barricades with rows of stakes at the top surrounded any entrances into the building. The phone booth had been temporarily dismantled, and the reception hall was filled with guards, as were the hallways; while overhead a patrol of brooms circled vigilantly about wearing shrouds to keep from being seen by curious Muggles. Everyone needed a badge, everyone needed a legitimate reason for being there, and Apparation had been limited to the reception hall and certain escape rooms reserved for the Ministers. It was definitely not a very friendly place, Jeffers mused… and even less friendly to him in general when he walked in ahead of the Marquis de Foncé who glanced at the security changed and shook his head.

"Petty," Foncé commented. "And quite futile."

"I'd be quiet, if I were you," Jeffers recommended. "We're on dangerous enough ground as it is."

"It's one of them!" one of the guards explained, and several wands came out. Quickly Jeffers got in front of him, flailing some papers even as they began gesturing.

"No no no! Legitimate business! The Minister himself asked me to bring him, not my fault!" Jeffers explained quickly. "These are the Marquis' diplomatic immunity papers. I would have done it myself, but the Minister refused to look at them without the Marquis being present." The officer took the papers, glancing over them with a frown.

"Wait here while we confirm this," the officer said, walking down the hall while the others stayed stationary with their wands pointed at them.

Jeffers frowned unhappily, only slightly reassured by the fact that they seemed to be questioning everyone else as well, only without the wands. Foncé, on the other hand, seemed quite bored both with the situation and the activity around the Ministry itself, looking completely disinterested. Finally the officer returned, pointing to two of the other guards.

"Very well, you may follow us. We'll escort you to the minister's war office," the officer said, turning back down the hall. The guards stayed with them for the entire walk, and none of them looked very happy to be there, eyeing the vampire warily despite the fact that Foncé didn't seem to even acknowledge their existence. They led them down a twisted, maze-like hall, passing many corridors and making so many turns that they were all turned around.

"I don't remember any of this," Jeffers admitted when the corridors seemed to turn into hedges.

"It's new; a brainchild of the Minister of Mysteries, or so I'm told. Quite ingenious, actually, not that you will see all of its security features… if you're lucky," he added coldly. "Of course, it will be interesting trying to figure out how to get you past the garden at this time of day."

"Garden?" Jeffers asked curiously, but as they turned the corner, the Marquis stopped cold in his tracks as pure sunlight beamed down into the corridor in front of them.

Curiosity overcame Jeffers and he pushed forward to look out of the maze into the large garden at the heart of the maze.

"Why! It's a Polynesian garden! And I swear by the sunlight beaming down on us that it is morning!" Jeffers exclaimed.

"Yes, so it is. I'm told a private citizen bought it and is allowing the Ministry to borrow it for the duration. Nice and balmy out here, isn't it?" the officer said.

"I cannot go out there!" Foncé hissed angrily. "The Minister will just have to come out here instead."

"Sorry, Marquis, can't be done. Security matters, you know," the officer explained, pulling out his Night Shroud. "We'll have to cover you up as best we can and make a run for it."

"A run for what?" Foncé asked warily.

"My guess would be that palm-thatched cottage down the way," Jeffers said with interest.

"Yes, that's the war office," the officer explained. "Don't worry, there are port stations inside, so we'll likely only have to run you through it one way."

"Wait! I need more protection than that!" Foncé hissed, and soon his head was piled up with cloaks galore. Jeffers and the guards seemed quite happy to take them off, feeling quite content to take in the warm, somewhat sticky climate and the cool brine-filled breezes.

"Alright, let's have a go and see if he makes it," the officer said mischievously. "Go get the office door, Sam, and we'll run at the count of three. One…two…"

"Wait! I'm not sure this will…" Foncé was cut off as the guards grabbed hold of each arm and darted out of the maze.

Jeffers stepped out slowly, watching with fascination as the cloaks and shrouds over him began to smoke as they sprinted towards the cottage, Foncé howling the entire way. It was hard, however, to press on, for it was a lovely day on the island. They had come out of what appeared to be a low, square concrete building and onto a high ridge overlooking the beach. Down below, two women in deck chairs sat up and looked around, apparently having heard the commotion.

"Isn't this glorious!" Jeffers exclaimed.

"Come, counselor, we must shut the door," one of the guards said insistently. Jeffers reluctantly jogged over to the cottage, the heavy door slamming shut the moment he stepped into what looked like an exact replica of the Minister's reception room.

"A bit singed, were we?" Percy asked from where he stood inside an office door. The smoldering vampire hissed at him angrily, baring his fangs before touching his face and hair to make sure it hadn't been burned. "Bring him in, Captain Cassell," he said, stepping into the office in front of them. "Your pardon, Minister, but it would appear that protective clothing didn't protect the Marquis completely."

"Good," Draco said briskly, eyeing Foncé with such open dislike that the vampire squinted at him in return. "Mr. Jeffers has informed us that you have filed for diplomatic immunity. However, we have no need for a diplomat. British citizens who were killed by vampirism may have certain rights within the country, but they don't apply to vampires outside of it, no matter what the community of Sentient Non-humans might like. There will be no diplomacy at the end of this conflict, it will be either your clan's complete surrender or destruction. Care to surrender now?"

"I had nothing to do with this! I have numerous witnesses that I was at Abraxus Coventry's party that night…"

"Forty minutes after sundown, according to Minister Craw, and not one of them can account for seeing you every moment of that party…"

"Of course not, there were a lot of people there, and people do tend to wander in and out of groups…"

"Or out of the building completely, not that whether your alibi is shaky or not really matters that much considering you are not a citizen here. However, being that we cannot prove you were a part of this planned invasion or had foreknowledge of it, you will be deported rather than destroyed. But if you ever step foot on British soil again, the RBF, LE office, and Aurors have been granted the right to eliminate you regardless of the circumstances. If you plan to leave your property here, I suggest you hire one of your wizard friends to run it for you. Cassell, remove his visa and escort him back to his own country immediately."

"I have a servant, Minister…"

"Don't worry, she'll be tossed out as well," Draco said coolly. "Cassell, if you don't mind? I have a lot of other work to do."

"Fine, but there is something that you should know," Foncé said in the same cool tone. "That bag of rice on your desk… it won't protect you from the Donnacht. That counting curse only affects the Bridal Clan, and not us. Pity that you don't know what our clan's personal quirks are, and there may be a time when you regret throwing me out."

"I highly doubt it," Draco said unconcernedly, waving him away.

"I'll be at my northern office if you need me," Foncé said as he was escorted around to the portkey stations.

"Confident mosquito, isn't he?" Draco said to Percy.

"A bit too confident if you ask me. I bet he tries to sneak back over here," Percy admitted.

"Good, then we can finally get rid of that thing once and for all," Draco said, then glanced up at the woman in the shorts bikini who was peering in the door.

"So is he gone then?" Alex asked.

"For now," Draco said. "And this island is a security precaution, Clemmons. It isn't here for your personal leisure."

"Well, no, but it's a brilliant place for a work break, isn't it? We're going to have a fish fry on the beach for the nightshift's lunch break if you want to come," Alex added brightly. Draco stared at her icily. "I'll take that as a no. See you there, Percy!"

"See you, Alex," Percy said, and found Draco's eyes on him the moment she left. "Sorry, Minister, I already committed. I'm bringing the ice chest, you see." Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head before turning his attention back to responding to foreign reactions.

* * *

After clearing off his desk and making certain that Descartes was fed and comfortable, Severus left his study, making certain the doors stayed open before slipping down the back stairs with a notebook in hand. He listened to the sounds of the school as he walked and could hear students in the halls on different floors, discussing the latest news or their homework. Everyone seemed quite calm at the moment; everyone except Bellamy, whom he had sent on a broom patrol to keep him occupied. The library seemed to be quite busy, but not uncommonly so for the middle of week. Boulderdash looked up from his desk and watched the Headmaster carefully as he made his way over to him.

"Ah, Headmaster. I was actually just expecting a note," Boulderdash admitted.

"Professor Sinistra is borrowing the observatory for her Astrology class, and I needed to get some research done anyway. Besides, I assume it is important, since you never bother me with anything less," Severus said.

"Yes. Quite. What did you want to research? Not vampires, I hope," Boulderdash sneered.

"You must be joking. After that business with Francis, I probably know more about that subject than many experts in the field," Severus said dryly.

"It's just as well. Between curious students and staff alike I doubt I have a single tome on vampires that isn't reserved," Boulderdash admitted.

"Any students in particular?" Severus squinted.

"No, I'd say they were equally curious," the librarian mused.

"Have any recently checked out a lot of books concerning the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?" Severus asked suspiciously.

"Yes, one that I can think of… Ambrose Bailey, for an Advanced Divination assignment I think," Boulderdash said.

"Why am I not surprised," Severus sighed. "Very well, I'll just take everything you didn't give him, short of any Old Testament copies, I have several of those already."

"Yes, Headmaster, and I also have a few copies of what I did give him as well. Perhaps you would like to get settled in the research library while I fetch these for you," Boulderdash suggested.

"Thank you," Severus said, but only took a step before he found himself gazing at the door with the engraved owl on it.

"It's the other way," Boulderdash pointed out.

"Yes, I know," Severus said curtly, pausing only to comment to several students at an overly talkative table before slipping into the back room.

It was empty; but Severus did not find that fact surprising. The staff had little enough time for their side projects under normal circumstances, but with the added patrols it left little time for such things. The light was dim, but he chose not to correct it right away so that he could step over to the windows and look out into the night. It was mostly clear and yet a bit windy, for he saw shadows moving with the trees. He watched them distractedly as he contemplated the passage of time; and how clear his memory was of the Christmas morning he had stood there waiting for Jennifer to arrive. There had been shadows then as well; shadows of a different sort. His thoughts wandered to other memories over the years until they inevitably focused back on the present, wondering how best to prepare for an adversary when he had no idea as of yet who it might be.

That was when his gaze fell on the covered pedestal in the center of the room. After all, it had come in rather handy the last time someone was after the Stone, he mused. Was it the Stone that had caused it to react? Perhaps it was Trelawney's curse that had affected it, or the influence of Ambrose, who despite his very young age had already begun to discover his heritage through the crystals. It was a dangerous idea, he knew, despite the security precautions he had taken with the device he had created that split the crystal into three separate fragments, refocusing it with mirrors in hopes of discerning the truth from lies, past from future, memories from predictions. Still, it had been a while since he had tried, and perhaps it was overdue. A single clue might make all the difference, he reasoned, striding over to the pedestal with determination and pulling the dark cloth away.

The crystals began to react almost immediately, but certainly not in the way that he was expecting. For instead of showing any sort of vision or even the fog that sometimes occurred with unfocused thought, all three crystals and the adjacent mirrors showed the same image of a Fae woman with a gaze older than written history.

"Good evening, Severus," the Lady said.

"Aunt Viviane," Severus said with guarded politeness. "I see you have returned."

"I am merely observing," Viviane assured him, despite the fact that it was obvious she didn't care whether her saying so reassured him or not. "The crystals called me back, and I am here only to guard them."

"I see. Guard them from what, exactly?" Severus asked.

"Something unexpected happened last night… I can only guess its meaning," Viviane admitted quietly.

"Something to do with the attack?"

"I suppose that would depend on which attack you mean," Viviane admitted with a thin smile. "Suffice it to say that although the events taking place were following the path of fate, a decision made by one of the players was not. For that reason alone did I come back to insure that my part in this is minimal."

"Let me see if I understand this correctly. You are saying, essentially, that you returned to make certain this change in decision by someone else does not drag you into this situation somehow?" Severus asked.

"Correct, Severus. After all, this entire conflict boils down to a war between life and death… the right to exist versus the desire to destroy. It is a very selfish battle, no matter which side you take, really… and as an immortal, it is a battle I have no interest in nor any desire to take sides on. Vampire or not, Stone or not, you're all mortal as far as I'm concerned and will die eventually, and to be perfectly honest I don't care if you live ten thousand years as long you aren't constantly in my way. So, although I am here, this conflict is not mine, so don't expect me to do more than look after my own interests," Viviane said.

"Thank you, actually I prefer it that way," Severus admitted.

"Yes, I'm sure you do," Viviane said, more amused than offended. "Anna tells me you have a new son. Has he caused you much trouble?"

"Not at all," Severus said evenly, having very little desire to discuss family affairs.

"I see. But it is just a matter of time, isn't it?" Viviane said enigmatically. "I should return to my observations, as you should probably return to yours. But be careful, Severus, not to rule any possibility out prematurely. The result of that right now would be quite devastating."

"I shall take every precaution as I always have, Aunt Viviane, thank you," Severus said.

"That may not be enough this time," Viviane said evenly. "Good luck, Severus, and please let Anna know that I've returned and that I will be here when she needs me."

Severus frowned as the crystals clouded over. He wondered about her use of _when_ instead of _if_, and why she sounded so certain that Anna would need her. Was he reading too much into that? But no, she had warned Severus not to rule anything out, and that warning was strangely sincere. But why would she have done so? Severus covered the crystal then stared at the dark cloth thoughtfully. It was obvious that her words were truthful on this occasion; as obvious as her reluctance was to be there at all. The only reason, in fact, that Severus could think of that could have motivated to have said such a thing was if she truly believed that Severus was heading for a dire situation. It was her promise to his stepmother that had compelled her to speak, he realized. And despite the method of communication, despite who the message was from, the danger suddenly seemed all the more real to Severus even though he had yet to understand it.

The door opened behind him, and in came Boulderdash carrying a large stack of books.

"Headmaster," Boulderdash greeted quietly, setting them on the table before finally noticing the wizard's distant gaze. "I gathered every book I knew of with even the vaguest reference of the Four Horsemen, even a few with unproven anecdotal accounts. I hope I didn't go overboard."

"No, I don't want to leave anything out. We know too little about this situation to try to pick and choose," Severus decided, suddenly appearing much more focused. "And what was it you wanted to see me about? You never did say."

"No, I was waiting to catch you alone, which is why I decided to meet you back here," Boulderdash admitted reluctantly. "It is about the two goblins who went missing on Halloween along with the other Ministry officials. The bank is demanding that the Ministry do something about it."

"I'm quite sure the Ministry is doing everything they can about it," Severus said. "As I understand it from Aurelius, they are moving quite quickly to try and re-secure the Ministry so they can launch some sort of counterattack."

"Yes, I know that as well as you do, but the bank doesn't believe that the Ministry is quite as concerned about the two missing goblins as they are about the rest of those who went missing," Boulderdash growled softly. "They have declared neutrality, stating that the Ministry is just as much to blame for their disappearance as the vampires who took them, saying that their lax security over their years and recent complacency are responsible for this occurring."

"I agree to some extent, but Draco is not likely to be sympathetic. He will maintain his focus on the problem at hand and more than likely dismiss any sort of diplomatic protests. This is not the time," Severus said.

"When the beast is wounded, the vultures will rise, Severus. I wouldn't doubt that the bank is hoping to use this to get the Ministry to make some concessions," Boulderdash explained.

"It won't go over well," Severus said.

"Yes, that is why I thought I'd better warn you," Boulderdash said. "I should get back to the desk, good luck with your research."

"Thank you, let me know if there are any further developments," Severus said, watching him go before sitting down. But he hadn't been reading long before he laced his fingers together and gazed out the window at the night, attempting to organize his thoughts.

* * *

Foncé Apparated into the middle of the dark grove and bowed deeply to the elders who were standing there.

"Reverent Father," Foncé acknowledged.

"You are late," Rafe said crisply.

"The Minister rejected my plea for diplomatic immunity and deported me. I had to return home to secure certain papers and rescue my servant…"

"Never mind your reason for being late. What have you to report?"

"The Ministry found a way to bring sunlight into the Ministry at night and put a command center in the middle of it…real sunlight," Foncé said.

"How?" Rafe hissed. "Mirrors?"

"I don't know how," Foncé said, but took off his gloves to show the burns on them. "But it was not any sort of magic contrived or imitation sunlight by any means. One of their toy army men commented that it was devised by the Minister of Mysteries."

"Who is it?" Rafe asked, his red eyes flashing with fire. "Surely whoever is behind this is tasting the strength of our fear by now, as should be the Ministry itself."

"At the moment the Ministry is acting on anger, not fear, Father," Foncé explained.

"Then we will simply find ways of making those who hired them afraid instead," Rafe said icily. "Scornfang, Steelbite, present yourselves," he beckoned. From the ranks of bats came two small figures with eyes that were strangely red and maniacal grins on their fanged goblin faces.

"You nurtured the goblins? But their blood is too thick!"

"Yes, I'm afraid poor Maitre will have trouble recovering from the experience, but it was for the good of the clan after all," Rafe said. "They will bring terror and fear to the wizards who defy us."

"I can bring my own terror and fear to them, without the aid of these mutant servants…"

"Brothers, Foncé, they are your brothers now," Rafe reminded him, while the two goblins grinned at him in complete dislike. "And you, son, will either bring me the Minister or you will bring me a proper tribute the next we meet, unless you want to fall further out of favor."

"And what was wrong with my last offering?"

"It was intriguing, and admittedly amusing, but I doubt any would come to claim her," Rafe said, shaking his head sadly. Foncé squinted.

"You saved the woman as well? But I thought she would be destroyed!"

"It is not your place to say who is brought into the fold and who is not, Wingard. You are not a member of my inner circle, and you are certainly no Reverent. Leave me. Do not come back until you bring back someone whose presence will be missed. And if it does not please me, you will find your territories much, much smaller, for I shall hand them over to other members of the clan who may make better use of them. What do you say to that, daughter? Would you like to put a claim on Scotland should he fail?" Rafe asked, glancing over at an older seeming woman with wild, dark hair and a strange distant calm within her red eyes.

"Yes, Reverent Father. I would like that very much," Sibyl Trelawney agreed with a cold thin smile.


	22. Pestilence

Chapter Twenty-Two

Pestilence

When Ludo woke up the next morning, he began to pace his cell. And when it was finally time to go out to the yard for his daily exercise, he completely broke his routine and began pacing there as well. The guards, who had finally gotten used to Ludo's determination to get back into shape, gathered at the door again to watch his change in behavior.

"What do you suppose he's up to?" Hinge murmured.

"He seemed fine last night, rather personable," another guard murmured back.

"We are not here to get 'personable' with the prisoners, Bench, but to keep them detained. That is much easier to do if we keep our distance," Hinge said firmly.

"Yes, sir. You're right, of course," Bench said solemnly.

"Good morning, mates, almost shift time. What's the show?" Boltin asked curiously, following their gazes out into the yard.

"He's in a monstrous mood this morning, sir," Bench explained.

"Oh? Something in the paper?" Boltin asked curiously.

"He didn't get that far. Didn't touch the post, either. He just started pacing," Hinge grunted.

"That is definitely out of character, isn't it? Has anyone talked to him?" Boltin asked.

"I don't fraternize with the prisoners," Hinge retorted. "It is against my ethics as a guard."

"As much as I respect that, Adam, I really think someone ought to talk to him. How long has he got left out here?"

"Five minutes, sir," another guard offered.

"I'll walk over slowly then. We can change shifts once he's pacing comfortably in his cell," Boltin said before making his way over.

"I think it's time to write up my annual complaint about the head guard," Hinge growled, watching as Boltin stepped up to where he was midway between the points that Bagman was pacing.

"Good morning. Sleep well?" Boltin asked, unsurprised when he didn't get an answer. "You seem rather out of sorts today. Is Hinge getting under your skin again?"

"No he is not, but my general welfare is not your concern," Ludo snapped.

"On the contrary, as head guard, I think prisoner welfare is my primary concern."

"Your primary concern is to keep prisoners confined so to keep them from being a public menace, not to speak with them," Ludo said crisply. Boltin blinked.

"Now you're starting to sound like Mr. Hinge. I never knew the two of you had anything in common," Boltin said thoughtfully. "You know, it doesn't seem so long ago that everyone here thought that way, not to mention the Ministry. Many even thought most of the prisoners here would be better off dead than subjected to the horrors of Azkaban and its Dementor guards. Then after a revolt horrible enough to stir even a tortured old ghost's mind, the Warden realized that the extremes that this prison had gone to was just as bad as what Voldemort was subjecting others to when they got in his way. It was a turning point for this prison; they decided to treat inmates like people instead of prisoners. That's when they started hiring enchanters as prison guards. I was the first one hired, thanks to a glowing recommendation by Albus Dumbledore. I really didn't understand why he did it at the time, but now I rather think he simply liked the idea of having a Hufflepuff as a prison guard," Boltin chuckled softly.

"Is there a point to this monologue?" Ludo snapped impatiently, glaring at Boltin until he paced in front of him.

"The point, Ludo, is that a prison may be established to protect humanity, but in so doing, the establishment should not forget to protect the humanity that dwells inside it as well. Azkaban is its own community… yes, a reluctant one, perhaps, but a community all the same, and within it is a sampling of witches and wizards from all walks of life, young and old, rich and poor, repeat offenders and first time mistakes, all with different reasons… some legitimate, and some not. Not everyone in this building is a ruthless, cold-blooded killer, Ludo. Most, in fact, are not. So scold me as you will, condemn me as my fellow guards often do for my approach towards prisoners here. But I have no plan to condemn you in return… that is a matter best left to the judges, state, and your own conscience. I sleep better knowing that my own conscience is clear. All I want is for everyone to stay civil to each other and try to make the best of their time in Azkaban no matter how long that might be."

"I have always been civil, not that prisoners are given much of a choice in the matter," Ludo said curtly. "It is not wise to judge a man by how he acts in captivity, Boltin. Under any other circumstances, they might spell your head off."

"So they might, or they also might turn into one of the best friends I have in all the world," Boltin reasoned. "I'm going to ask your doctor to look over your diet and prescriptions to see what has made you so irritable. I suggest for your own sake you pull yourself together if you want visitation with your counselor later."

"With or without the jeering committee?" Bagman asked sourly, thumbing over towards the guards waiting to take him back.

"That would depend on you, wouldn't it?" Boltin said.

"Once again you do nothing to prove my point," Bagman said grumpily, allowing himself to be taken back inside. He was almost grateful to get back to his cell after the unwanted attention he was getting, sitting at his small desk and brooding. Why had the damned vampires gone and saved that woman? She was bound to be a problem, so Bagman decided that perhaps moving quickly was their best option.

* * *

Lord Nelson was sitting at his desk contentedly looking over the figures when Amadeus came in, looking extraordinarily agitated.

"Amadeus, close the door and have some coffee, or perhaps some newt wine since it looks like you might need a drink," Nelson said calmly.

"Did you see the latest report from Malfoy?" Amadeus said, not taking the offered seat. "He issued a statement saying the Ministry is now treating all of those missing as presumed dead, since the Donnacht clan aren't known for taking hostages," Amadeus said, putting the paper on the desk.

"From what Foncé told me, I am quite certain that he's right, although I hear Rafe picked up some new servants out of the lot that are sure to cause the Ministry trouble. Have you seen the Goblin Exchange numbers today?" Nelson asked, easily brushing the topic aside. "Those 'wise' investments we made in that wulfenite deposit and stake factory have jumped tenfold in value in two days thanks to this war."

"Never mind that over a dozen are dead…"

"Wars are never without casualties, Amadeus. We may have helped to instigate it, but we certainly didn't carry it out," Nelson said, folding the newspaper over. "In either case, the war is out of our hands now, and I made sure it wasn't completely for Foncé's sole benefit." He held the paper out, and Amadeus reluctantly took it and glanced at it. He then paused in spite of himself and took a closer look at the numbers.

"Some of those are my companies," Amadeus realized.

"Those that you gave me permission to make investments in, yes," Nelson said, sipping out of a steaming goblet. "I told you it would work out. I can make a profit out of any disaster, no matter what Death is cooking up for us next."

"So do you suppose we'll have an occasion where we'll actually have to use some of those spells we've been learning lately?" Amadeus asked in a low, unusually serious voice.

"Of course, why else learn them at all?" Nelson said with a shrug. "Just think, the knowledge we now wield has not been known by any mortal in centuries! Thanks to this little cooperation of ours, we now all possess powers greater than any other wizard on the planet, including Severus Snape! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Snapes weren't our next target. We will destroy them all in one swoop, and then there will be no more Snapes to get in our way… or get in the way of your personal fantasies, for that matter."

"I don't see how those have got anything to do with it."

"Liar, I have no doubts in my mind that you have been thinking about it ever since Foncé told us what that devilish spell does. When they are gone, you'll be able to set those fantasies aside and have the real thing; nothing would be able to stop you."

"Willowby might…"

"I hope to have the chance of dealing with Willowby personally," Nelson said with a thin smile. "The other two waifs are of little consequence."

"Besides, I wouldn't want the real thing if she didn't want me back," Amadeus said evenly.

"Those rope burns on Jeanette's wrists suggest otherwise," Nelson said bluntly. "Either way it's nothing that one of your Oblivious spells and a few enchantment potions can't fix. In the meantime, I plan to make a profit by buying up companies that can help 'solve' any calamity we might cause… ah, I've found something very interesting."

"Oh, yes?" Amadeus prompted, hoping for a change of subject.

"An article in the _Veritable Wizard_…"

"What? How did you get a copy of the school paper? I wouldn't think they would send you one," Amadeus said, growing more curious.

"Don't be naïve, Amadeus, I have Abraxus forward them to me. The article on the back page is about how the Muggle Studies classes are getting ready to harvest the last of the crops on that farm of theirs. They're donating a part of the profits for a new boat house and dock," Nelson explained.

"I don't see what that has to do with us," Amadeus said with a sigh.

"Snape has that school locked down tighter than Azkaban and isn't likely to leave it right now, let alone put himself in any sort of position that would put him off his guard. I also don't doubt that farmhouse has its share of security in place, but I seriously doubt there is any out in those fields. If those students were put into danger while they were out harvesting, he would have little choice but to come out into the open, would he?" Nelson concluded.

"That sounds risky," Amadeus said in a low voice. "And really, do you suppose the others would go along with it?"

"Of course they shall, they want him out of the way as much as we do," Nelson said. "And when the wizard community realizes that the Ministry is too involved in a war to act and that Snape is no longer there to protect them, we will be able to do what we want, when we want, and how we want, without fear of anyone capable of stopping us."

"Well, I like that bit, it's how we're going to manage it without getting caught or killed that worries me," Amadeus admitted. "Besides, have you considered the fact that the class is likely to be harvesting in the daytime, not at night?"

"Perhaps that will draw any possible suspicions off Famine then," Nelson said unconcernedly. "I will send the appropriate message to Azkaban for a meeting and see what our self-proclaimed leader thinks. We must move quickly if we're to take advantage of the harvest. Perhaps it will be the perfect opportunity to do some reaping of our own."

* * *

"What in the hell is that thing?" Don asked, gazing at the large machine dubiously.

"It's called a harvester combine," Sirius Black explained as he checked over the blades. "I have it on loan from one of the other neighbors. Some of you will have a chance to drive it today." Don stared at it with a grimace, apparently not thrilled with the idea.

"Does that mean we won't have to harvest all this ourselves after all?" Delia asked brightly.

"As you can see, there is only enough room in the cab for the driver and one other person," Madame Black pointed out. "So while students are taking turns in the combine harvesting the back fields, the rest of us are going to learn some of the more traditional ways to harvest oats in these front fields. We'll go in order of recent test scores, which means Dirk will go first, then Lucky, Don, and so forth."

"Nice, they might have the thing done before they get to us, then," Helena whispered to her sister, who looked quite relieved.

All of the students watched with fascination as Dirk climbed into the cab with Sirius, watching from the cramped passenger seat as Sirius drove the harvester over towards the fields closer to the road. Finally he put on the breaks and there was a bit of a shuffle inside the cab before the harvester took off again. It was far from a straight line; in fact the obvious zigzagging it was doing caused several of the students to chuckle outright.

"All right, let's see how well you do on your turns," Madame Black grinned at them. "Lets head to the shed to get out the rest of the tools. Don't forget we have to get all of this done today so we really have to get started. Next week class will be cancelled since I have to escort those students taking college exams, and then we need to get the barley seeded. After that, we're going to start on home technology and computers. Has everyone started on their rough drafts for their research papers for this year?" There was a round of very unconvincing "yes's" along with a few sheepish looks. "Well, get on that, I'd like to go over them before we break for Christmas so you have some idea on how much revisions you need."

Fortunately for Lucky, by the time they had gotten all of the equipment to the field they were starting on and had gotten organized over who was going to do what rows, the harvester had turned back around and it was her turn inside the vehicle.

"Good luck, Lucky. You'd think going in a straight line would be a bit easier than that," Dirk admitted with annoyance when they past one another in the field. In the meantime, Sirius had finished the rather impressive chore of turning the thing around and setting it up for the next row.

"There's Lucky! Shut the door tight so we don't get the dust in here, a bit cramped but you'll manage," Sirius said. "Here, take the driver's seat."

"What's with all the levers?" Lucky asked warily.

"Never mind those, I'll take care of that part of it, you just worry about steering," Sirius said. "All you have to do is go straight down these rows here all the way to the road, turn around, and hit the next set on the way back."

"You are gonna help turn this thing when I get to the road, right?" Lucky asked.

"I may put a hand in now and again, yes. The main idea is for you to get the feel of what it's like driving this sort of heavy machinery," Sirius said cheerfully.

"Yeah, but for some reason I don't see me needing to drive this kind of machinery when I'm going into business and finance," Lucky said.

"Funny, that's about what Dirk told me a few minutes ago," Sirius chuckled. "But I'm a firm believer in the fact that you cannot truly appreciate magic until you know more about what innovative ways the folks that don't have it use without it."

"Aunt Anna just told us we're going to be sowing barley for the spring. Does that mean we're going to be learning how to make beer?" Lucky asked mischievously.

"We're growing barley because it's an easy crop to grow in this climate and a part of the local farm economy. I assure you just about everyone in these parts will be doing the same."

"Sure. Because they want to make beer."

"Lucky, keep your eyes ahead of you, you're starting to stray a little. Don't stare into the cutters, watch the outside edges so you can judge your distance," Sirius recommended. Lucky sighed and did what she was told, trying to line it up again before finally looking back up for the center. Then she saw something dark in the field that left her flailing.

"How the heck do you stop this thing!" Lucky exclaimed. Sirius then noticed something in the field as well, reaching over and pulling the brake before putting it in neutral. "What is that? Looks like some sort of broken wagon wheel or something."

"Something dumped from the road, would be my guess. I don't know why folks can't throw things away properly… wait here, Lucky, I'll get down there and move it out of the way, then I'll teach you how to turn this thing."

"Great," Lucky said unenthusiastically, watching as Sirius hopped out to inspect the pile of wood debris.

"Well, it isn't a wagon wheel," Sirius said in a raised voice so she could hear him over the engine. "It's what's left of an old rocking chair," he explained, showing her one of the rockers. "I'll be just a minute."

Lucky propped her head up on the wheel and watched as he began grabbing it all up and walking it over to the road. As he was walking, she began hearing a strange sound that she couldn't identify. Was it the engine idling funny, she wondered, sticking her head out the door long enough to listen to it. No, it sounded all right to her, at least it sounded no different than it had before. So where was that other sound coming from? There was a strange echo to it, almost as if it were coming from all around her…or perhaps it was above her? It was then that she noticed Sirius looking around and then finally focus in on something in the sky, dropping the wood in his hand and making a subtle gesture for the wand at his belt. Lucky frowned and leaned over to see through the glass and found herself staring at four horses with strange hooves hovering above them in mid-air. Four figures sat astride them in dark robes, all looking very much alike; only the horses looked different from each other.

"It appears to be Sirius Black," spoke the man on the pale horse.

"Not appears. Is. Who are you?" Sirius Black.

"You do not recognize us?" the man asked, and Sirius shook his head. "We are the Four Horsemen, harbingers of death and destruction. To see us means that your death is imminent."

"That's all right with me," Sirius admitted with a shrug. "But considering you seem to be mildly surprised to see me, I gather I'm not who you're really here for."

"We are here to carry out sentence upon Severus Snape," said the man.

"Good luck with that. I don't think he feels that he is ready just yet," Sirius confided to them with a chuckle.

"Death comes to all of us whether we are ready or not, Black, no matter how we try to prolong it," the man said coolly. "You simply never know when someone may come along and ruin any plans of having a long productive life. Like us, for example," he said, joining hands with the others and murmuring a spell. "We will now cast the forbidden death spell," he said quietly to his companions.

"What? Now?" whispered Conquest in alarm.

"It is time they know that we mean business, and that we…are…in charge," he said, his words slowing into a beat as the synchronism took full hold and they pointed their wands up at the sky, a dark cloud forming while Sirius slowly began stepping backwards. "Black Death gather at our will, Mist befoul and sickness kill, Ascend with disease and taint the air, For all must breathe and feel despair! _Epus! Acrididae! Meritox! Ash! Pestilen! Ambien! Destructus!"_

The four horses suddenly dashed up above the cloud as locusts began to spill out, mottled and strange with clouded eyes not altogether natural and an obvious voracious nature as they half fell half flew out onto the field. Casting a speed charm on himself, Sirius sprinted towards the combine in attempt to reach it first, but despite the fact that it momentarily looked like he was going to make it, the swarm finally engulfed him as it began spreading over the open land.

_"Tío!"_ Lucky screamed as the waves of locusts cut off her vision. All she could see through the glass now were ugly brown grasshoppers. He hadn't been far when he fell, she knew, but could she actually get to him? Suddenly she heard a thud against the glass and realized she hadn't a moment to lose. Grabbing her wand, she conjured up a powerful gust of wind, tossing back the light-bodied locust and forcing the door open long enough to pull Sirius inside.

"Shut the door," he rasped, his breathing sounding erratic, but Lucky had already bravely reached out and slammed it shut with only half of a locust making it in. "We have to warn the others…try the radio."

"Nobody's at the radio, they are all in the field," Lucky said, feeling sick.

"Oh… don't worry. Your father won't let anything happen to them. Something like this happened once before a long time ago, you see… they called out dragons to burn the plague away…" he murmured, threatening to fall asleep.

"Dragons? We don't have any dragons!" Lucky said. "Even if we did, they'd end up roasting us in the process, they'd end up…" Lucky stared at the locusts beating on the glass, some of them hitting the glass with such force that the glass was beginning to crack. "_Dios, ayudame,"_ she murmured to herself, and then began tugging at her cloak. Sirius looked up blearily to see Lucky putting on a pair of gloves, fastening her bracelet around the cuff of one before pulling out a mask that covered the bottom half of her face.

"What are you doing? Are you crazy? That won't protect you from getting sick if you go out there!" Sirius rasped, his eyes full of worry despite the fact he hadn't moved.

"It's not to protect me from getting sick. It's to protect me from me," Lucky said, checking the gas gauge. "Hang in there, Uncle. You'll be safe in here," she said, and with another blast of air forced her way of the cabin and up onto the roof. Constantly the pestilence smacked against her making it hard for her to get on her feet, but Lucky was persistent in getting into a position where she had a vague idea where the fields ended and the insect swarm began. "There is only one way to disinfect the plague," she told herself firmly. "Burn it," she answered. "Burn it! FIRE!" Lucky shouted at the top of her lungs.

Immediately a ring of flames formed around the vehicle, rising higher and higher, causing massive heat and smoke to rise up. Within seconds the flames began to spread in all directions, incinerating the crops and everything above it. Quickly Lucky tossed down tiny bottles of fire retardant from her charm bracelet, attempting to keep the fire temporarily at bay. But soon she noticed that the locusts were fleeing into her protected circle, so after tossing several of the potions at the vehicle itself, Lucky slipped back inside. Taking the drivers seat again, Lucky experimentally pulled on some levers before she found the main brake, Sirius moaning in protest to the movement.

"I'm sorry, but we are in the way. I'll have to try and drive through it," she explained, moving the combine forward and praying it was pointed in the right direction for the road.

"It is so hot. I'm burning!" Sirius wailed, a chill going down Lucky's back.

"You are not burning!" Lucky snapped, tossing her cloak over him. It was only then that she herself realized how hot it actually was, the heat from the outside turning it into an oven. "I'm not dying now! I got too much to live for, and so do you! Don't you dare die on me! I've killed too many relatives by fire already!" she ordered, pushing the combine as fast as it could go. She had no idea how long the potions on the combine would last, or even if they would hold up at all.

The moment they pushed into the flames, the flames directly behind them raced to swallow up the patch of oats still left standing and the locusts that had remained there. But Lucky spared only a glance in the glass to make sure the flames were closing in before concentrating on keeping the contraption moving forward. In what seemed an interminably long time there was a jarring bump as the blades of the combine scraped the road. Finally the entire vehicle was on the pavement, but she quickly realized the danger was far from over. A firestorm of flaming debris crossed on every side of them, and nowhere safe to go.

Just then there was a brilliant flash in the sky like a giant strobe so bright that even in the blaze, Lucky had noticed it. Before she could truly ask herself what it was, a loud rap on the glass behind Lucky made her jump out of her seat, and she turned to see a cloaked woman.

"Jackie!" Lucky shouted, opening the door.

"We have to get you both out of here now," Jennifer said, grabbing onto Sirius and holding out a key. "Quick! Grab hold, Lucky!"

"But what about the others? And the Horsemen and?"

"Please, Lucky, not now, just take it! Hurry!" Jennifer ordered, and Lucky grabbed hold, feeling as if she were falling… falling… right into a bed at St. Mungo's.

"Quick, get them into quarantine!" she heard a doctor's voice say. "You too, Professor Craw!"

"I assure you I wasn't bitten…"

"Anyone within the presence of any infected person is considered infected as well! In you go, Professor," Bliant said, pushing her forward.

"Doctor, please, this one is quite bad," one of the nurses pointed out, standing over Sirius. Waving some of the other nurses to get Jennifer and Lucky settled, Bliant focused his full attention on Sirius, a flurry of commotion following him into the room.

* * *

"Where are we?" one of the students asked in the darkness.

"Somewhere safe, and let's just leave it at that," said Dirk's voice.

"Somewhere safe? When our teacher is passed out on the floor?" Don said dubiously.

"Someone have a match?"

"You have a wand, you idiot!"

"Oh. Sorry, Muggle studies, you know," Connie said sheepishly, lighting the tunnel they were in. "This is a mess, isn't it?"

"What was your first clue?" Don snapped at her in disgust.

"Please, everyone try to keep calm. Madame Black wouldn't have led us down here if she thought it wasn't safe," Helena said.

"It doesn't look all that safe to me. I think that ceiling is going to come down on us any moment…"

"Shut up, Don."

"And what about all those insects up there? Any clue where those came from at all?"

"I have no idea," Dirk admitted, checking on Black. "But where ever they're from, it wasn't good. Someone cast an air filtering spell, it's starting to get rather smoky in here."

"I've got it," Helena volunteered.

"Rather odd sort of smell with that smoke, isn't there?" said Virginia, one of the older Hufflepuff students.

"I imagine it's probably our crops burning," Dirk said, getting several exclamations before they began talking to one another anxiously.

It didn't take long with their raised voices for Severus to find them, and then they all began talking at once while Severus knelt beside his sister for a moment to check on her.

"Is she going to be all right?" Connie asked.

"She is like this because someone else is in danger that she wants to protect," Severus explained. "Is everyone accounted for?"

"Lucky isn't here, sir. She went out on that machine with Mr. Black right before the plague started," Helena explained. Severus took out his watch.

"Professor Craw seems to have taken care of that. Let's get the rest of you to the castle," he said, picking up Anna and leading them down one of the tunnels.

"Isn't this the wrong way? This isn't how we came before," Don said critically.

"We can't take the doors to the field or the farmhouse cellar. The fields are still aflame and the farmhouse is filled with heat and smoke, but there is another way," Severus said, turning a sharp corner. Several students gasped involuntarily at the sight of a giant Stymphalian iron statue, its sharp-feathered wings spread and its teeth bared. "One can never over-prepare for the worst," Severus recited. The Stymphalian screeched once then pulled its wings in around itself, covering its head and giving them room to pass. A few feet later, however, the tunnel seemed to dead-end at a stone wall. Shifting a bit to keep himself from dropping Anna, Severus slipped a metal crested ring to his knuckle and pushed it into a small hole in the wall. The entire wall seemed to melt away, revealing a Door Lift with the words, "Emergency Exit Only" written on a plaque beside it.

"Everyone kindly head straight inside the hospital wing and expect to stay there at least overnight so that we can make sure none of you picked up the sickness. Consider yourselves under temporary quarantine. I am certain that some of the faculty can gather your books and homework and perhaps some distractions to keep you occupied in the interim," Severus said, herding them all into the hall beside the ward. "Straight in," he said again when he saw several of them standing dazed just on the other side of the door.

"Everyone, come look!" Helena shouted, standing next to the window. Soon the others gathered around as well, peering out at an angle so they could see the viciously burning fields. The farmhouse's upper level peeked above the smoke like a small island in a raging sea.

"Will the farmhouse burn down as well?" Connie asked.

"No, it's been sealed against that sort of thing. However, I need to go have a word or two with Sagittari about the Forest before I head to St. Mungo's. Stay here and rest until he or Madame Potter arrives… Dirk, see to it please," Severus said, lying Anna on one of the cots.

"Yes, Professor," Dirk said solemnly, stepping over to the door when the headmaster left.

"So much for the profits going to the boat house," Connie said glumly.

"What do you suppose would have caused the fields to ignite like that?" Sand asked.

"Only one thing that I can think of," Dirk admitted.

"The Pyro! Of course! I knew Lucky would go over the bend one day!" Don said, looking disapprovingly at the fields.

"That Pyro as you call her probably just saved all of our lives, Coventry," Dirk said icily. "Very few ever survive the plague spell."

"Plague?" several of the students repeated at once.

"But I thought Professor Craw was the only person alive who knew that spell," Helena said.

"Apparently that's no longer the case," Dirk said grimly, gazing out at the flames.

* * *

It didn't take Severus long to find the right section; a great many nurses were bustling about at an even greater pace than normal, and after peering in several open doorways noticed one with a magical barrier thrown in the doorway. He knocked quietly on the door, Jennifer looking up with a warm smile from Lucky's bedside.

"Is this thing to keep you in or keep me out?" Severus asked quietly.

"A bit of both, I think," Jennifer said with an apologetic smile, stepping closer. "I'm in quarantine as well, although Morfinn is pretty sure I'm all right. He thinks I might have built up an immunity after that time with the snakes, do you remember?"

"Yes, I remember it well. Fortuna?"

"Right now they're more worried about the smoke inhalation, but they do want to keep her for a while because she is running a temperature," Jennifer said distantly, then sighed. "If only Sirius was alright as well. Apparently he was out of that vehicle when it all started and had the full brunt of the spell before Lucky had a chance to pull him out of it. Do you suppose you can try to find out anything? Everything I've picked up from the nurses who have come in here has been quite grim."

"Sirius has survived through a lot worse than a plague spell, Jennifer…"

"Yes, which is one of the reasons he may not want to fight anymore," Jennifer said, unable to hide her grief. "How did this happen, Severus? The tomb was obliterated, how was anyone else able to find out about that spell?"

"A scrap of paper in some old book somewhere for all we know," Severus said, but Jennifer shook her head. "What matters is that there is a counterspell for it now, which you cast brilliantly, by the way."

"I wouldn't have been quick enough to save them had Lucky not stepped in, Severus, even with all the precautions I put into that farm," Jennifer murmured.

"Utilizing the old tunnels under those fields went a long way to saving Anna and her class, Jennifer. That was your idea, as I recall," Severus reminded her. "I had better check on Sirius."

"I hope you can bring me back some good news," Jennifer said worriedly, wandering back over to the chair beside the bed.

But as open and warm as Jennifer and Lucky's room was, Sirius' room was closed off with nurses and doctors going in with full robes and masks over their mouths and noses as they bustled in and out. At last, Severus recognized Morfinn's small thin build from those coming out, taking a step forward to draw attention to his presence. Morfinn stripped off his mask and immediately went over, but his expression quickly revealed how troubled he was.

"I take it he isn't doing well," Severus said in a low voice.

"By all accounts, Severus, he should already be dead," Morfinn admitted. "Something is keeping him alive, and I sense another presence in the room…"

"Anna," Severus said, Morfinn nodding at the confirmation. "Her class is in our hospital wing in quarantine, but she had already left herself before I had gotten to them."

"I don't suppose there's anything you can do to convince her to let go?" Morfinn murmured. But Severus shook her head.

"Were I to have such a power and had been placed in a similar position, I know I would not. As far as she is concerned, where there is life, there is hope for recovery," Severus said.

"There is no hope that he'll recover from this, Professor," Morfinn said.

"Doctor Bliant!" called out a nurse from the door. "Something is terribly wrong!"

Immediately, Morfinn darted back into the room, the door closing within seconds so Severus had little time to see anything but several hovering nurses and doctors beyond it.

"What are you doing? Why are you just standing there?" she demanded.

Severus glanced around in surprise to see Anna standing there with tightened fists and a pale face.

"You are supposed to be in quarantine."

"You are supposed to be helping Sirius! You're the only one who can save him now and you damn well know it!" Anna snapped angrily. Severus gazed at her evenly.

"Anna, Sirius has told me on more than one occasion that if anything ever happened…"

"Never mind what he said then, listen to me now! You can't just stand by and do nothing when you have the power to save him!" she shouted.

"There is no guarantee that it'd work, Anna," Severus said quietly.

"But to not even try! You just stand there, you won't even try to save him! No matter what your relationship is like with Sirius, he is still my husband, and by god if you don't at least try and he dies, I'll never speak to you again as long as I live! Don't do this to me, Severus! Please, if you love me at all you'll save him. Please!" Anna said, tears forming in her eyes. "I don't want to lose him, please!" Severus exhaled, having trouble maintaining eye contact.

"I shouldn't be doing this," Severus said to himself, but strode for the door. There were exclamations all around from those in the room when he stepped in without any precautions at all, but Bliant simply backed away from the bed and gestured everyone else to back up as well.

"Let him go, he's immune to this sort of thing. Besides, we can't do any more for Sirius. If he can do something, it'd be wrong not to let him try," Morfinn told the others.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that if I were you," Severus said, but took out the prismatic bottle anyway, putting the bottle to Sirius' lips and murmuring the imbibe spell.

It was only after the fact that he had a chance to look at Sirius; his skin grey despite the fact that his forehead was pouring with sweat and his face strangely gaunt. He looked so old in that moment; older than his true age and so very old compared to Severus that the difference was quite stark, and Severus knew the bottle in his hand was partially to blame for that. Still, the deed was done; it was too late for regrets, Severus reasoned to himself, backing away so that Morfinn and the others could gather again.

"His breathing is less erratic but he is still quite weak, and his temperature is still quite low. Increase the heat in here and get me a phial of Hexacuran Twenty. He should be stable enough to be treated now, at least," Morfinn decided. "What did you give him, exactly?"

"Something that will give you time to work, apparently," Severus said.

"Yes, thank you, and there is still a lot of work we need to do… can you get me a plaster, please?" Morfinn said, soon too busy to notice exactly when Severus slipped out of the room. He walked over to where Anna sat with her eyes closed, but she opened him when he came nearer. She suddenly stood up and hugged him, sobbing as she hadn't in years to the point where Severus felt helpless to do anything but try and comfort her.


	23. Questioning the Keepers

Chapter Twenty-Three

Questioning the Keepers

Dale hurried into the hall, running straight over to the barrier to try and dispel it until he heard someone clearing his throat.

"If I have to deal with it being there, so do you," Severus said in a low voice.

"Is she all right?" Dale asked anxiously.

"She is improving," Severus said. Dale sighed in mixed frustration and relief.

Lucky woke up a little while later, reaching for extra blankets that weren't there. Suddenly the temperature of the room seemed to jump up on its own.

"Goodness, Lucky! It was hot enough in here as it was!" Jennifer chuckled in protest. Lucky opened her eyes and glanced around in confusion. "It brings back memories of when I was in that bed and it was Severus in here complaining of the heat. Now he's sitting out here, comfortable as you please!"

"What day is it? Did I miss the exams?" Lucky asked, sounding a bit weak but obviously anxious.

"Nonsense, Lucky, you have several days yet. You should be out of here before then. If it'd make you feel better, I'm sure I can arrange your books and homework sent over," Jennifer said mischievously.

"Good idea," Lucky agreed tiredly.

"I was just joking!" Jennifer admitted with surprise. "Have it your way, then. Goodness, I hope I get the old Lucky back after those tests are over!"

"I don't know, Jennifer, I rather like her this way," Severus said from the doorway.

"Don't you dare listen to him. I can tell you it's plain on his face that he misses the old Lucky as well," Jennifer chuckled.

"Sirius… is he all right?" Lucky asked. Uncertain of the answer, Jennifer glanced back at Severus, who had lost all interest in looking their direction.

"He'll survive, although he has a long battle ahead of him," Severus said.

"Sure you're not just tryin' to keep me from getting excited or something like that?" Lucky asked suspiciously.

"I wouldn't lie about something like that, especially with your mother in the room. Everyone affected by that nasty spell is going to recover fully, thanks to a certain student who finally realized that all talents have their uses," Severus said. Jennifer smiled at Lucky proudly.

"It'd be fine with me if I never had to use it again," Lucky admitted somberly.

"Good, then we know you'll always use it responsibly," Severus said expressionlessly.

"I have always known that she would," Jennifer protested. "Any word yet as to when I can get out of here?"

"I'll see if I can tear Doctor Bliant away from Sirius to answer that question," Severus said. "Not that I want to take any chances, of course, but you wouldn't believe the night I had last night," he said.

"Quintin kept you up all night, did he?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes he did, and you need not look so pleased about it, thank you," Severus said.

"Oh, dear. All the more reason for me to want to go home," Jennifer said with a grin.

"Perhaps I can arrange for you to spending the rest of your quarantine back at the castle, especially since you seem to have built up an immunity to it," Severus said.

"Hey, what about me?" Lucky protested.

"I seriously doubt the doctors here are ready to part with you yet. Besides, I think you'll find this location has fringe benefits," Severus said, stepping out of the way as Dale came up to the doorway.

"Hey, you! How about you do your thing with the door and we can bust out of here?" Dale winked at her.

"I'm all for that," Lucky said with a weak smile.

"There, Jennifer, look what you've started?" Severus scolded, getting an enigmatic smile in return. "If that barrier was down, you'd serve only to get yourself quarantined as well."

"Brilliant!"

"Don't even think about it, Mr. Chance." Severus said warningly. Morfinn came up about him in time to hear Lucky's chuckle, nudging them both away from the door before dissipating the field.

"So you're awake and in good spirits, I see," Morfinn said, walking over and feeling her forehead. "Her fever is coming down, but we'll need to keep her here for a few days until she has her strength back. We don't want to send her back to Hogwarts only to have someone else's sniffles leaving her down for the count again."

"I'll happily fetch her some books and things to keep her occupied in the meantime, Morfinn, that is if I'm to be released," Jennifer hinted.

"I had to make sure you weren't a carrier, Professor Craw. But I do have some mixed news… even though I am prepared to release you, I've been asked to release you to the Auror Department," Morfinn said.

"Oh?" Severus said.

"I believe Harry wants to talk with everyone who knows that Forbidden Death spell to find out how this happened," Morfinn said.

"Yes, I've been wondering that myself, come to think of it. In which case, he'll be wanting to talk to me as well," Severus said.

"I'll let Harry know you're both ready then. He's over visiting with Anna and Sirius," Morfinn said.

"How is Sirius?" Jennifer asked.

"Bad," Morfinn admitted. "But considering I had given up all hope of saving him, that is a vast improvement." As Morfinn left, Jennifer looked straight at Severus, who was still refusing to meet her gaze.

"He is going to be very upset," Jennifer said quietly.

"Not as upset as Anna would have been had he died," Severus murmured back defensively.

"I wouldn't count on that," Jennifer said.

"She would never have forgiven me had I not tried."

"And he won't ever forgive you for going back on your word," Jennifer said.

"What would you have done, Jennifer, had it been you in that position?" Severus challenged her.

"I would have saved him, of course, as I would save anyone's life if it's within my power. Besides, you know as well as I do that potion doesn't guarantee that any of us won't die tomorrow from something else, suspended aging or not… but he is still going to be very upset," Jennifer concluded.

"Yes, so he is," Severus agreed, glancing over at Dale who was politely admiring the hall décor rather than get in the way. Dale suddenly stepped closer to the paintings and Severus looked past him to see Harry coming down the hall accompanied by a nurse.

"Doctor Bliant says you're free to go with Mr. Potter, Professor Craw, so I've come to look after Lucky for you," she said.

"Thank you, Daphne, please take good care of her," Jennifer smiled.

"I'll do my best, Professor Craw," Daphne said courteously.

"I'll help," Dale offered.

"You will stay out here and talk through the barrier, Mr. Chance, until the doctor has decided she is no longer contagious and gives you leave," Daphne told him firmly.

"I think she has matters well in hand," Harry chuckled.

"I'll drop by later on with your books, Lucky," Jennifer said.

"Try to stay out of trouble still then," Lucky said.

"I won't promise anything," Jennifer said with a wicked grin.

"Joy," Severus said unenthusiastically before turning to follow Harry out.

"We're meeting Thomas and Aurelius in his office, since his office is bigger than mine," Harry explained.

"Just in time for his lunch break, I see," Jennifer said, glancing at her watch.

"If we hurry," Harry agreed. "He won't be surprised if we're late, though."

"Since when?" Jennifer laughed incredulously.

"Since Draco added all the guard checkpoints," Harry explained.

It wasn't long at all before Jennifer found out that Harry wasn't exaggerating about the checkpoints. Law Enforcement officers and RBF seemed to be spread throughout the entire Ministry building, near every office door and door lift and wandering in the halls, as well as specific stations in the halls.

"This place is even more of a headache to get through than Azkaban," Jennifer declared when they finally passed the last checkpoint leading to the LE offices.

"You should try going to Draco's office sometime, when you have a few hours to spare," Harry said dryly.

The door was open and waiting, but Thomas and Aurelius looked up in surprise when they managed to arrive on time.

"How did you get here so fast? Didn't anyone stop you?" Thomas asked with annoyance.

"Not really, just some of the RBF stations," Jennifer said.

"They were supposed to stop and question you, even my men," Thomas snapped.

"Be reasonable, Thomas, everyone knows who we are, they're not going to bother…" Harry began.

"That is a mistake! What if you were imposters?"

"All three of us?" Severus said dubiously.

"I'd be able to tell, Grandfather," Aurelius pointed out.

"When we have enough Truthseekers to man all the checkpoints I'll agree with you. At the moment we only have two-and-a-half in the country, and only one licensed," Thomas grunted. "Never mind, I'll deal with the Enforcers later. It's lunch break, and I'm sure that's not what Harry brought us together to talk about."

"No, I need to ask you about the Forbidden Death spell, actually," Harry said with a sigh. "And how someone else other than you four might know it. Have any of you taught it to anyone else?" All four of them stared at him. "I'm sorry, but I do have to ask, after all we have to try and narrow it down. Thomas, did you teach that spell to Maurice."

"Don't be absurd. He's too young for that," Thomas snorted.

"I knew that spell before I was eleven, Dad…"

"Yes, but you were my only heir and Keeper in training at the time. Maurice only knows two death spells, Shrieking and…well, the most effective," Thomas said in a low voice. Severus gave him a freezing stare. "But I have no intention of teaching him any others, I'm sure those two can handle the majority of situations where he might need that sort of thing. The plague spell isn't one to be taught lightly."

"I agree. I myself wasn't planning to pass it or any of them on until Voldemort learned it, that's when I decided it was too dangerous just to let it go," Jennifer admitted. "The Keeper of Dark Magic has its place, not only to preserve the dark arts, but to help balance it. Of course, that's Rel's job now, not mine."

"And I have no intention of passing on what I know for quite some time. I'd rather wait and make sure it goes to someone in the family who can handle the responsibility," Aurelius said, folding his arms. "Besides, with two former keepers still around, if anything does happen to me, I know someone will pass it along. I'm not in any rush at the moment."

"Then since none of you have passed it on, how do you suppose someone might have gotten hold of that spell? An old book somewhere?" Harry asked.

"No, the only place it was written down was in the tomb and the tomb was destroyed," Jennifer said.

"How can you be so sure of that?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"As I recall you were there…" Jennifer pointed out.  
"No, no, I mean… how can you be so sure that the Tomb was the only place that it was written down? Someone might have heard it and scribbled it down at some point," Harry explained.

"Unlikely, not after it had been Erased," Jennifer said. "Another Craw wouldn't have done so."

"Erased?" Harry repeated.

"Yes, by Vindious I think. Is that right, Dad?" Jennifer asked.

"That would be my guess, Jen-girl, although it's not a part of any official family history," Thomas mused. "If anyone had a reason to stifle that spell it'd be him considering how Malice used it… why he chose to pass down the Shrieking spell and not the plague is anyone's guess. The point is that Forbidden Death hasn't been in any books since."

"How exactly was it erased?"

"With a spell, of course," Thomas interrupted irritably. "The Erasing spell is one of the most important spells a Keeper has… it's what basically allows us to help weed out spells that are so overpowered that they're self-destructive. Once a spell is identified, the caster only needs to find the earliest copy of the offending hex and cast the Erasing spell on it. Not only will the spell fade on that copy, but it will fade on every book and scrap of paper written after that point."

"But it didn't erase the wall in the tomb," Harry pointed out.

"No, it doesn't really work well on stone because it's more permanent than paper is. Things written on paper usually fade with time anyway," Jennifer explained. "This spell just helps it along."

"I find it interesting that the spell affects all the copies after it. Some sort of time manipulation involved?" Severus asked curiously.

"Never thought about it. I simply say the words and wave the wand," Thomas shrugged. "I've never ran into anything where that spell hasn't worked. It's quite effective, which is why we are positive that there isn't any sort of missing scrap of paper somewhere."

"Well, what about wizards who knew it at the time? Does it erase memories too?"

"No, those who knew it before it was erased still retain the knowledge of the spell, they simply can't seem to get it to stay on the paper after that point," Thomas explained. "It'll fade as it if had never been written. After that, it only takes a generation or two before it passes out of existence."

"But you four know it," Harry pointed out.

"Yes, because of the Craw legacy as Keepers of Dark Magic," Thomas said.

"But what's to stop anyone else from passing it down? Perhaps some other family line did the same thing?" Harry suggested. "Really, it's the only logical explanation isn't it?"

"Troubling, if you ask me. It makes me wonder what else they might know," Aurelius admitted.

"Such as?" Harry asked.

"Such as the spell Mallus Craw erased," Aurelius said grimly. Jennifer stared at her son, the color draining out of her face.

"What spell is that?" Harry prompted, watching their dark expressions thoughtfully.

"We don't know what it is. Something that didn't get passed down," Thomas said.

"We only know it exists at all because I saw him take it off the wall of the Forbidden Tomb when I was trapped in Mallus Craw's ring," Jennifer said. "And although I didn't really see what had been written there, I had the impression that the reason he did it had something to do with his own preservation."

"As if none of the other Death Spells could kill him," Thomas mused.

"It does make one wonder, doesn't it?" Aurelius agreed. "Especially when he was at the height of his power. To be honest, I'm more worried about the idea of that mystery spell getting out than the plague spell. After all, there is an effective counterspell for the plague spell now."

"And who all knows the counterspell?" Harry asked.

"I know it," Aurelius said.

"As do I," Severus said.

"Well, I don't," Thomas huffed, looking quite annoyed.

"Don't worry, Dad, I'll teach it to you, it's quite simple," Jennifer promised.

"Do you mind teaching me as well? Who knows when they might try using it again," Harry said.

"I doubt they will use the same method twice, considering this time proved to be less than effective," Severus mused.

"All the same it's better to be prepared," Harry said. "Now all we have to do is get some clue as to what that missing spell is."

"Perhaps Francis remembers something that might help," Jennifer suggested. "After all, he was a young boy at the time that Malice was alive. Perhaps he might have heard something."

"Jennifer," Severus murmured, turning pale and nearly jumping out of his seat. "That is the answer."

"What? Francis? He wouldn't know it, Severus…"

"No, he wouldn't, but Francis was fairly young in vampire terms. There are many vampires in the Clan who are several centuries older… and some of them are undoubtedly wizards," Severus said.

"Foncé," Thomas growled, a dangerous look in his eyes. "He's one of the Four Horsemen. I'll sign out a death warrant!"

"Thomas, aren't you jumping to conclusions a little?" Harry protested. "This is just conjecture, we don't have any evidence…"

"Harry, we're at war with his clan. I don't _need_ evidence to sign a death warrant against one of them," Thomas pointed out, getting out several forms. "Who in the clan had better reason to do it? We all know he's been trying every single thing he can think of to gain the favor of the elders, and he also had the most to gain from his clan going to war."

"Maybe, Thomas, but there are still a lot of questions to be answered here. For example, wasn't that class attacked in the middle of the day?" Harry asked.

"Well, he does have a point," Jennifer said. "I did see four horses."

"Did you see all four riders?" Severus asked. Jennifer thought about it.

"I saw four shadows, Severus, but I certainly didn't get a good look at them. I was rather busy trying to get that plague cloud nullified. They bolted after that, so I went down to help Sirius and Lucky," Jennifer said.

"Perhaps they saw something," Harry said. "Do I have your permission to speak to Lucky about what happened?"

"Of course," Severus said.

"Would it help if I had her Pensive brought over?" Jennifer said.

"It might, Jennifer, thanks," Harry agreed, getting up. "I'll keep the four of you informed if I find out anything or we know for certain that's how they learned that spell. In the meantime, any way you can teach me the countercurse to that spell?"

"I can do that," Aurelius volunteered.

"Good, I'd like to get the rest of the other Aurors trained with it was well."

"Add me to the list of students, while you're at it, as well as my personal staff and senior officers," Thomas grunted.

"I doubt they will try that method again now that they know it can be foiled. What worries me more is the spell we don't know rather than the one we do know," Severus said.

"And there is no way you could possibly find out what that spell is? Any possible clues from the past that even hints to what it did?" Harry asked out of desperation.

"No, I'm afraid not, although if you think it will help, I'll go over my memories in the ring again," Jennifer sighed.

"Not without me," Severus said firmly. "And there is one other Craw we could ask, you know."

"Well, it's worth a shot, I suppose, isn't it?" Jennifer agreed, and all of them got up at once to get to work.

"Mallus Craw?" Janus repeated, furrowing his ghostly brow. "What the devil would I know about him? He was well after my time."

"Yes, I know, but I was hoping that perhaps there may be a clue exactly which spell it was that he had erased." Jennifer coaxed.

"The world has changed greatly since I last walked these halls as Slytherin's apprentice, Jennifer. The magic has changed…even the language has changed. And yes, I was the first to pass down to my son the accumulation of everything I had learned from Slytherin and my own research of dark magic to my children as a living record, most of the spells of my time our now considered virtually obsolete. Even my years of research has long become obsolete," Janus murmured.

"You were studying homunculi, weren't you?" Jennifer said, more to keep him from settling into a depression than actual interest.

"Yes, apparently all of wizard kind abandoned the study entirely after the beginning of the House Elf era," Janus said with open irritation.

"That may be, Janus, but you are the founder of the family, the first of the Keepers, and the namesake of my grandson. Surely you realize there is a lot of work you did that hasn't gone unnoticed," Jennifer said soothingly.

"Hrrumph. I suppose when you put it that way," Janus grunted, eyeing her warm smile. "But the point remains the same. I have no way of even guessing what such a spell might have been, at least without knowing a bit more about him."

"Such as?"

"Such as what was he like? Yes, I've heard enough to know as well as anyone that he was an evil bastard, but that doesn't answer my question," Janus explained.

"What more did you want to know?" Jennifer asked.

"For one thing, what sort of Keeper…let alone a wizard… would go to all the trouble of etching up a wall with the dark spells of the time only to turn around and destroy one of the spells he had inscribed?" Janus said. Jennifer stared at him.

"You didn't make the original copy of spells on the wall?" Jennifer asked flatly.

"Of course not! I passed them down to my son and made him swear an oath that he would do the same and did so for generations, thank you, even through Mallus and all of that…until it got to you, that is," Janus said, Jennifer giving him a dirty look in response. "I put the wards in place, preserved the tomb, and I secured it with a nasty little spell I concocted that bleeds the worst out of people so that if they died down there, their energy would help create a death trap that increased over time rather than dissipated as many long-term spells do. But other than etching the wards that seal the place, that graffiti was his."

"Then it was that dark energy more than anything that attracted him down there, wasn't it?" Jennifer said. "That and his hatred for the Slytherin family at the time."

"That I wouldn't know about. How was Mallus with the rest of the Craw family?" Janus asked.

"Vindious didn't agree with his father much. In fact… well, he didn't agree with him at all. The fact that they were both Craws was probably the only thing that kept the two of them civil to one another."

"So in spite of everything, Mallus still believed in the Craw family," Janus murmured.

"Oh, yes, definitely, above all else, though I wouldn't have put it past him to have killed Vindious if he thought for an instant his son was betraying the family name," Jennifer said.

"In which case, his inscribing these spells makes perfect sense," Janus decided. "He wanted to make certain that his job as Keeper was preserved in some way if he and Vindious had a falling out. A sort of backup plan in case things went sour. Considering the banshee he left to guard it, he probably thought that sooner or later, another Craw might come along to reclaim the title were anything to happen to them both."

"Yes…" Jennifer said, thinking it over. "And then at some point after, something happened to him to make him decide that one of the spells he was going to preserve wasn't worth keeping and removed it. But what could have happened?"

"Given that the man had two motivations, protecting the family and the total destruction of his enemies?" Janus pointed out.

"It had to be to protect his family in some way," Jennifer concluded.

"Then apparently something happened between he and one of his enemies between the time he originally wrote that and when he took it off," Janus said.

"Well, if Mallus was the one that wrote them, he would have probably done it about the same time the wand was made, and it was taken off the day his ring was formed," Jennifer murmured.

"Any ideas on who his enemies were at the time?" Janus asked. Jennifer let out a pained groan.

"Oh, no," Jennifer said. "It's has to do with _her_ again."

* * *

Jennifer nervously followed Severus down the stairs, looking behind her despite the fact that it was too late for any students to be roaming the halls.

"Perhaps I ought to wait outside the door," Jennifer suggested.

"I don't know if I can actually get her respond to that thing again or not, Jennifer, and even if I manage it, I really don't think she is concerned about you. I think it would be more in her nature to pretend the incident hadn't happened," Severus said, walking through the dark library and back to the research section, opening the door for her. "Try to have your mind clear and unfocused when I pull the cover off this thing. I really don't want to see any other visions at the moment if I can help it."

"I'll stay far back," Jennifer said. "Are you sure she's even going to notice?"

"Viviane said she had returned to observe, and if so she is doing so very carefully," Severus said, moving the cover on the crystals. "I doubt she's left that cave since she returned."

"How can you be certain?" Jennifer asked.

"She hasn't visited Anna yet, even with everything going on. I consider that out of character under the circumstances," Severus explained, turning his attention back to the crystals to see her already standing there, gazing at him disapprovingly.

"I would have left had there been a funeral, as there should have been," Viviane said.

"I couldn't have let him die without trying, Aunt Viviane…"

"You could have, if you let your sense of morals get in the way. But it would seem that Anna's selfish grief and your selfish desire to keep her happy were stronger than any sense of right and wrong. A dilemma of mortals, to be sure… it will turn out worse for you than it does for Sirius, so I'll let the matter drop."

"I can live with my own decisions without your input, thank you."

"Then may I ask why it is you are pestering my crystals this time? You have better things to do right now then use them, and I'd rather you didn't try again. I'm much too busy to be keeping you in line," Viviane said curtly.

"It's about Mallus Craw…"

"Oh, no, Severus. Haven't we exhausted that particular topic?" Viviane protested.

"I can appreciate the sentiment, I assure you, but it would seem one of the vampires we are facing has knowledge that could be quite dangerous."

"Only one of them?" Viviane said dubiously.

"This particular vampire is the same one who knows the Forbidden Death spell…"

"The what?"

"The plague that nearly killed Sirius and contaminated school's farmland area," Severus said impatiently.

"Oh, that one," Viviane said unconcernedly.

"Yes, and it has occurred to the Craws that the spell that Malice Craw attempted to erase may be known to this vampire as well, and they and the Ministry would like some idea what it does," Severus concluded. Viviane stared at him through the crystal.

"You don't know what it does?" Viviane repeated in apparent disbelief. "Isn't it obvious?"

"No…" Severus said, squinting. "By obvious, do you mean it is a spell that has been used recently?"

"Severus," Viviane began, but then stopped herself with a sigh. "This really isn't any of my business. The spell isn't even in my jurisdiction, and even if it were, I have every right to tell you that you have better things to do right now than chase down a spell that may or may not be used against you."

"We simply want to know what we are up against so that we can defend ourselves, Aunt Viviane…"

"You know, there is a strategy always open to you when facing the unknown," Viviane said, "and that is to put your trust in that which you do know. Stop wasting time, and turn around and fight. Don't worry so much about what they do know, take advantage of what you know about them already. Stop playing the mouse when you can protect your kittens better being the cat! Now, don't bother me again. I have other matters to attend to, and really you are the least of my priorities right now," she said bluntly the crystals turning dark for a moment before showing Severus his reflection.

"Well, she was no help at all, was she?" Jennifer said, stepping up. "As usual."

"Actually, she did have a point," Severus said. "We cannot possibly defend against unknown, so the best thing to do is take a more offensive stance. Perhaps in this way we can force them to show their cards."

"How?" Jennifer asked.

"Let's go check in at the hospital. I have a feeling that Harry found something odd about those horsemen," Severus said.

Lucky had taken the time to empty her Pensieve out completely before putting in the one memory back inside before handing it over to Harry.

"We'll just set it over here. Aurelius is going to stay and supervise if that's all right," Harry said.

"Sure, I don't care," Lucky shrugged. "Can I go in and look?"

"If you don't think it'll bother you, sure. It can be a bit unnerving…"

"I can handle it," Lucky said. Harry glanced up at Aurelius, who nodded.

"All right. Sit up a bit and we'll put it on the bed," Harry said.

It was a strange sensation… it was as if she were sitting in the combine again, but now she had Harry and Aurelius sitting next to her when she was sure that had they all truly been there it would have been quite crowded.

"Not a very good view, is it?" Harry said with a frown.

"I hear something odd, though," Aurelius commented.

"Look, there's Sirius over there. What was he doing out of the harvester?" Harry asked.

"He was moving junk out of our way," Lucky explained, the view changing again. As Lucky's view of the Four Horsemen became clearer, the two of them watched a short exchange, straining to hear. Neither of them could understand what was spoken over the sound of the engine.

"Interesting horses," Aurelius murmured. "I don't know what spells are on the others to make them look like that, but I think that one is a real Nightmare."

"And there are four figures there, but something is a bit odd…" Harry paused as the spell was spoken and their view was instantly obscured as the spell began spewing out millions of locusts from the crowd and they watched Lucky's efforts to get Sirius inside.

"A bit of a risk using that wind spell to try and get him in, you know. Those locusts could have gotten past it," Aurelius said critically.

"I couldn't just leave him out there," Lucky shrugged.

"Can we go back a bit? Back to right before the plague spell went off. I want a closer look at those horsemen," Harry said. The scene faded as the flames came up around them, and after a hazy darkness, Harry found they were back with only the sound of hoof beats. "Rel, watch them carefully right before the spell is cast. More than one of them seem to be casting the spell at once."

"What? Do you mean they're using the synchronizing spell?" Aurelius said with alarm.

"Watch," Harry insisted. As they were reciting the long spell to call up the cloud, Aurelius saw what Harry was talking about, for one of the horsemen hadn't moved. "Do you see that? They are using the Synchronius spell, so why are only three of them casting it? I bet that fourth figure isn't a real figure at all, just some sort of illusion. Only the horse is real… look! It's trailing the other three as they pull up above the cloud."

"The black horse… what does that stand for again?" Aurelius asked.

"Famine, I think, if it's like the ones in the Bible," Lucky said. Harry glanced at her thoughtfully a moment, then back at Aurelius.

"Your grandfather's right, Rel. It is Foncé," Harry said. "Come on, let's get out of here so Lucky can get some rest."

Soon the Pensieve was put away and Lucky was leaning back comfortably with a calculus book, and Harry and Aurelius stepped out of the room.

"The Synchronius spell… bad enough what they chose to cast, but do you realize how much power that would have given it?" Aurelius said worriedly.

"Not necessarily, Rel, if that was outside of one or more of their normal casting abilities. It's not an easy spell to cast, you know…"

"Even still, Mum was damned lucky to be able to dispel it. What if all four of them had been there? I'm not sure even the fire would have deterred it," Aurelius said. "And how is it that they know it? That spell had been lost for over a thousand years, so older than Foncé…"  
"You forget, Aurelius, the year I graduated, the entire school was taught that spell in hopes of keeping Hogwarts safe from Voldemort," Harry said.

"Actually, my father taught that spell to several of his classes when I was in school too. I guess a lot of people know it, come to think of it," Aurelius said with a sigh.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing, Rel. It means we could easily fight fire with fire," Harry said.

"It also means we won't stand a chance against them if we end up facing them alone," Aurelius said.

"Then we make sure we don't face them alone. We'll have the Aurors partner up," Harry decided.

"What? We don't have enough Aurors for that. How are we going to cover all the shifts? Not to mention the vampire patrols and the outstanding warrants…"

"We'll just have to work over some, I suppose," Harry said calmly, Aurelius looking less than enthusiastic. "It isn't as if we're the only ones. The LE Department has been working over since this war started."

"At least they get to sleep during the day," Aurelius muttered under his breath, then looked down the hall to see his parents walking up.

"We're back… opened up the room, did they?" Jennifer said, peering in and waving at Lucky.

"It was the only way they could think of to keep Dale from breaking in," Aurelius said. Severus gave him a dirty look. "Morfinn has decided they're not contagious, but he still wants her on bed rest. It gave us an opportunity to test her with a Pensieve, though."

"And?"

"One of the horses was riderless. It was just an illusion of some sort," Harry said. Severus nodded. "And they used the Synchronius spell to cast the plague." Severus squinted, while Jennifer looked genuinely surprised. "Was it very hard to countercurse?"

"The spell didn't have time to truly get momentum like Voldemort's had, so I'm not sure it's fair to compare it," Jennifer admitted. "I had gotten to the cloud a lot sooner and knew exactly how to neutralize it, so it didn't have much chance to strengthen, especially after Lucky began to burn the pestilence. The cloud itself was bigger than I would have expected, but certainly not three times bigger than normal."

"What do you mean?" Severus asked.

"Well, considering the size, I think it was more typical of two people casting the spell in sync rather than three. One of them must have botched it. I suppose it is just as well. If that cloud hadn't gotten the response that it had so early on, it might have finished us," Jennifer admitted. "We're rather lucky things played out as they had."

"In more ways than one," Severus said, stepping into the room. "Studying again?"

"What else have I got to do?" Lucky protested. "Don't worry, they're making me take a lot of breaks. The nurses fuss any time I'm awake for more than an hour."

"Looking forward to returning to Hogwarts, are you?"

"Anything is better than this," Lucky snorted.

"Well, when you get back, don't let that head of yours inflate from all the talk of your being a school hero and all that. School merit or not, truth or not, I'd rather you not give me the headache of your becoming the center of attention for a while. I had my fill of that when he was in school," Severus said critically, thumbing back at the door where Harry stood, smiling.

"Ya," Lucky said flatly, wondering why she felt like a kid again.

"Fine, then I won't bring it up again. We'll be back after we check up on your aunt," Severus said. Jennifer gave Severus a warm smile as he came out, taking his arm while Harry showed them down the hallway.

"Severus, do you suppose the morning after she gets back I can ask Francie to make chocolate chip pancakes?" Jennifer asked.

"Certainly not, it'd be viewed as favoritism. Besides, I was thinking that you might like to take her to New York to visit Sally for a weekend after her tests are done," Severus said.

"That's a rather good idea, since Sally has been wanting to see Quintin as well. But do you really think we ought to with everything going on here?" Jennifer asked.

"I will manage, and you're far safer there than here, so long as we don't tell anyone else about the trip," Severus said.

"Don't worry, Mum. I promise we won't let anyone die while you're gone," Aurelius said.

"Now, that's a lovely reassurance, isn't it?" Jennifer said, unamused, stepping around some bustling nurses. Anna had just stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her and looking around. She smiled faintly when she saw them, taking a few more steps away from the door.

"Hi. How is he doing?" Harry asked.

"Never mind that, Anna, how are you doing?" Severus asked.

"Tired, but coping," Anna admitted. "Morfinn just went in to look at him. His fever ran really high and when it crashed, it plummeted lower than normal. They have the room quite warm, and Sirius is sleeping restlessly, so Morfinn is going to wake him up so they can try to get his temperature regulated."

"Do you want to go sit down or something?" Jennifer asked.

"No, I'd rather wait here in case he does manage to wake him up," Anna said. "Why don't you go on to the waiting room around the corner, I'll be in when I can."

"We'll save you some tea," Harry agreed. "Is something wrong, Rel?" Severus and Jennifer looked at him in surprise.

"Aurelius, you're as white as a ghost!" Jennifer exclaimed in surprise as Severus hurried to get him into a seat. "What is the matter?"

"It's the secret. It's coming out," Aurelius said, his voice sounding shaky.

"Which secret?" Severus demanded.

"NOOOOOOO!" came the loud, terrified scream of Sirius Black from the other room. Severus had only heard him scream like that once before; the night they had spent in the fourth quarter of Azkaban when his nightmares had taken a life of their own.

"Anna, get in there quickly!" Severus said, but it was already too late. Just as she was opening the door, Sirius' haggard figure burst through it, looking terrifyingly similar to the way Harry remembered him looking in the mugshots from Azkaban.

"Get out of my way! I know you had a hand in this!" Sirius growled at Anna angrily, pushing his way past. Knowing someone was going to get hurt if he didn't do something, Harry jumped in front of Sirius, thwarting his lunge at Severus. "You did this to me! Admit it! You did it, after you promised!" he shouted. "Bliant says I would have died if you hadn't given me something! You son of a…"

"Please, Mr. Black! You must come to bed at once!" protested one of several nurses who had come out after him.

"Yes, Mr. Black, you're not well enough, you'll catch your death all over again…"

"I won't die! That traitor saw to that!" he spat.

"Calm down, Sirius, you are as mortal as you ever were. Take your death back if it suits you," Severus said evenly. "You are very much overreacting."

"All I ever wanted was a normal life. A normal life … and a normal life span!" Sirius growled.

"And you still have it. You could still die tomorrow, you know…"

"I should have been dead already! I would have died happy knowing at least I stood my ground out in the open instead of some wretched prison or hospital bed! You broke your word and used one of those stupid Elixirs on me!" Sirius shouted.

"Sirius, please! He didn't want to go back on his word. I begged him to save you!" Anna snapped.

"Then you're as guilty as he is! That Stone was given to him so he could better serve the school and to protect its students. It was not put there so the two of you could play God!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. Suddenly he looked deflated. "God, I feel tired. Where's Lindsay?"

"Here, Father," Lindsay said, pushing her way through a crowd that had gathered in the opposite corridor, hurrying to his side and pulling his arm around her shoulders. "You really ought to be in bed."

"I don't care. Just get me away from these Snapes. I've had enough of all of them. I wish they'd all disappear and leave me in peace," Sirius murmured.

"You don't really mean that, Father," Lindsay said in a soothing voice, helping the nurses get him back into the room.

Outside the room, the people crowding the corridors began talking at once, despite several doctors and nurses hushing and shooing them.

"You two should probably get back to the school before these folks start asking awkward questions," Harry advised Severus and Jennifer quietly.

"It won't do any good now. Everyone will know by morning," Aurelius said with certainly.

"Anna, perhaps it would be advisable if you came along as well. I'm sure Zack can watch things here," Severus said.

"No, you go on," Anna said slowly. "I'm going to stay and… hope I can get him to listen to me."

"Perhaps it'd have been better had we listened to him from the beginning…" Severus began, but Anna caught his arm, gazing at him seriously.

"You did the right thing, Severus. Even if he doesn't believe it right now…it was the right thing to do."

"If it was, it was for the wrong reasons. Sirius was correct about that much," Severus said. "Let's go, Jennifer, let's say good night to Lucky and then deal with this in the morning. There is still a lot to do back at the school, and we still need to relieve Andrew of his babysitting duties."

"All right, Severus," Jennifer said.

Aurelius watched them go blearily, rubbing his head to try to ease the pulsing headache that came from a secret released from him unwillingly, painfully aware that everyone in the halls around him were already passing on what they had overheard.


	24. Sticks and Stone

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sticks and Stone

Ludo furrowed his brows at the paper before he growled in annoyance, wrenching the paper in his hands and tearing it down the middle, tossing it on the floor in disgust before he made his way over to an empty wall to do some push exercises. Within minutes he was calm and focused again, putting all his energy into the motions, until finally he stopped and picked the paper up again, reading it over one more time. Tossing it aside once more, he went over to his desk, scribbling a quick note to his counselor.

* * *

"Here it is, under the fold," Cain said, glancing at Maurice.

"Apparently war has some benefits. Snape doesn't get top billing," Max said, getting a few nods in response.

"That skirmish above Ipswitch was rather nasty," Garvan said.

"Probably the most excitement they've had in Ipswitch in fifty years. How did they write it off?" Max asked.

"Movie stunt, apparently. General public believe there's a new Twilight coming out, whatever the hell that is," Cain said.

"Never mind that, get to the article," Maurice said, frowning at him disapprovingly.

"All right," Cain sighed, then began reading the article. "'The medical staff at St. Mungo's have confirmed that Sirius Black would not have survived the recent attack on Hogwarts' farm property without the aid of Severus Snape who, after given permission by the head resident, administered the potion known as the Elixir of Life. However, despite the apparent consent by both the hospital and Mrs. Black, it was made clear by Mr. Sirius Black that it was done against his wishes. The incident also has revealed that the Philosopher's Stone, once thought to have been destroyed by Albus Dumbledore, had in fact been handed down to Snape upon his departure from the school.'"

"Straight forward and to the point, isn't it?" Maurice said with a sigh. "I suppose the Oracle was anything but."

"Which part do you want me to read, the bit about Snape hording advances in magic for his own personal and selfish reasons, or the bit about wanting Snape to prove his financial accountability to make sure he's not trying to manufacture his own gold to get around the goblin standard?" Garvan asked.

"Spare me, you need not read any of it. I'm surprised that the gossip columns didn't make some sort of snide comments about my sister using it solely to preserve her youth or something like that," Maurice said. Garvan grimaced. "Oh. They did, didn't they?"

"I don't suppose you knew about all of this beforehand?" Max asked.

"My mother was one of my sister's first students, back when she was an assistant at Beauxbatons," Maurice said. "Despite that, she's always looked to be older, and when I asked my father about it once, he made the comment that he was rather hoping that she would catch up to him. That was when I realized that my father didn't seem to be aging… after that, it sort of all came out. But I can tell you that it's not something used 'just to preserve' my sister's youth. She's had some very close calls with death, you know…Voldemort… Malfoy… if it hadn't been for that Elixir, she wouldn't be here today, doing what she does best."

"You mean like torturing us with these horrendous tests on the properties of dry components vs. fresh?" Max grumbled.

"Please, that's all memorization," Maurice sighed at him. "The point is that the Stone was only kept secret to protect it from falling into the wrong hands, and the Elixir has not in any way been abused, nor will it be as long as it remains in Snape hands."

"Perhaps that's true," Cain said, folding up the paper. "But now that it's no longer a secret that Snape still has the Stone, will he truly be allowed to keep it?"

"I dare anyone to try to take it," Maurice said icily.

* * *

Quintin burbled contently from where he lay in his crib, watching his father at the desk. He burbled quite a lot, especially right before a nap… perhaps to calm himself. Most of the time, it had a calming affect on Severus as well. But that wasn't enough today; a splitting headache got in the way as the stress of everything came crashing down upon his temples.

There was a gentle knock on the doors and Jennifer slipped in with a scroll case and a small parcel in hand.

"Please tell me you have my headache powders," Severus murmured.

"Yes, I do, although Corey wanted to me to tell you that what he thought you really needed was a quiet afternoon with a pipe, your violin, and a glass of anise wine. And Sagittari happened to tell me exactly the same thing… only he left out the pipe," she amended with amusement as she stepped over to the desk. "I picked up the insurance estimates from Taylor for the smoke damage to the house and the wall damage…we didn't insure the crop itself. Here is my security report for the board, and I even snuck into Hermione's office and grabbed the financial and fund raiser reports for you. There you are, all set for the board meeting."

"I don't suppose there's anything in there that prepares me for whatever it is that Norman is going to say about the Stone?"

"Does it really matter what he's going to say? Honestly, Severus, with Minerva on the board, Eric siding with you on every topic, not to mention the majority being in your favor, why worry?"

"Because he's a rotten old codger who does everything he can to make my life miserable," Severus grumped.

"Who is simply trying to act within the best interests of the school, all apart of those lovely checks and balances that even you must agree need to be there to make sure this school lasts," Jennifer said, handing him the powders.

"He doesn't always act within the interests of the school, Jennifer, he likes to act politically, and that includes his views on Artifacts. The Stone will be the first thing he brings up."

"Then tell him to kindly butt out. Dumbledore gave it to you personally, not the school. The fact that he gave it to you to help the school is beside the point. It's yours to look after and no one else's, and the fact that it cannot cause any harm to anyone means that there is no reason for anyone to even suggest it to be removed," Jennifer said.

"Jennifer, what was Hermione doing when you dropped by her office?" Severus asked.

"Sorting the post."

"Sorting the post," Severus said with a nod. "She came in a couple hours early today to sort the post. And she is still at it. Now what do you suppose the majority of those letters are?"

"Hard luck cases," Jennifer sighed.

"Yes, and I had the disagreeable time of making out a form letter explaining the length of time to make it, the rarity of ingredients, and the fact that it can sometimes only prolong suffering rather than provide relief. And in the meantime, here I must say no to them for begging for their loved ones' sake while I go and save someone who did not want to be saved in the first place," Severus said.

"Now, don't blame yourself for that," Jennifer said, coming around his desk and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I would have done the same thing in your shoes, without hesitation."

"You are more inclined to act with your heart instead of your head than I am when it comes to matters of this sort."

"Am I? Well, I rather disagree with that, especially when it concerns Anna. And if I'm not mistaken, you were probably wondering in that moment what you would do if it had been one of us in that position," Jennifer challenged him.

"Yes, so I was," Severus said with a sigh. "And were I to go back, I probably would have done the same thing."

"Then there is no point in questioning it, especially just before a board meeting," Jennifer concluded.

"My conscience as always."

Jennifer smiled at that and went over to the crib.

"I had better take this little troublemaker off your hands so you can get ready," Jennifer said, picking up Quintin who seemed quite delighted to see her.

"He's no trouble, really, except when all my equipment stops working for awhile…"

"Don't you dare start that again," Jennifer warned, stopping in his sitting room just long enough to get Quintin a bottle and change of clothes before going to her own.

Severus took his powder and reluctantly got ready to go, gathering and organizing all of his notes before getting dressed. In the next room he could still hear Quintin babbling away, so when it became curiously silent just before he left, he couldn't help but to peek in. Quintin, however, was far from asleep. He was simply momentarily preoccupied with a bottle, holding it with his feet as well as his hands.

"I suppose that means you're in for a long night as well," Severus commented thoughtfully. "I am off."

"Have a good meeting, Severus. Don't you dare let them bully you," Jennifer said.

"Do I ever?" Severus asked defensively.

"You don't want me to answer that," Jennifer warned him, and Severus wisely decided to turn around and leave.

Jennifer sighed then, glancing over at Quintin who looked no sleepier than he had when she gave him his milk.

"I don't suppose you'd oblige me by going to sleep without a fuss tonight?" Jennifer asked dubiously. "Never mind, I'm sure I still have a stack of lab results to check somewhere in this pile," Jennifer added resignedly, searching through her haphazard stack of work in an attempt to put it in some sort of order.

Finally he quieted down and Jennifer got up and covered him. Glancing at the empty wooden stand, she then cracked the window and held her arm out, concentrating on Ratfly so she could lock up for the night. It was quite cold out, and she began to wonder if it was the chilly air that was making her feel like it was taking him longer than usual to come in. And it was just as she was really starting to worry about him that an excited old bat landed on her arm.

"What is with you? It isn't like you to take forever when you're called in," she scolded Ratfly softly. That was when she noticed his fur looked dark and patchy. Gently she brushed the patches and discovered deep red marks underneath as if he had been wounded in some sort of fight.

Immediately alarmed, Jennifer locked the windows and sealed them with a flick of the wand. She ran into the other sitting room and half-carried half-dragged a puzzled basilisk back with her.

"In, Rasputin. Under there… guard the baby," Jennifer ordered. Apparently he was less reluctant when he finally understood what it was she wanted, slowly crawling under the crib. Jennifer hopped over him, a bat still on her arm as she made her way to the Study. "Armando, is Sagittari in the castle for the night?"

"Yes, Professor Craw."

"Good. Then I want the castle on lockdown."

"Lockdown? Now? But the Headmaster is out of the castle!" Armando said in surprise.

"Never mind him, he can take care of himself. Start locking down the castle now! I'm taking Ratfly down to Sagittari. Send Andrew up here to watch Quintin, close the gate, doors, and passages, and have Carnegie start securing all the windows at once."

"Yes Professor, although I'm not sure he'll appreciate you locking him out…"

"He won't argue," Jennifer said briskly before hurrying down the stairs.

A large door had been added to the hospital wing that had never been there before, set into a wall that one would think it simply led back into the hallway had it not been for the fact there was no door on the opposite side. Jennifer rapped her fingers on in smartly only for her bat to protest. Jennifer held him comfortingly until the door opened and Sagittari peered out, immediately spying the coddled bat.

"Bring him in. What happened?" Sagittari asked, carefully stepping back so that Jennifer could enter the examining room.

"I'm not certain but I'm very afraid it was an attack from a vampire bat," Jennifer said, gently handing him over so that he could take a better look at the wounds.

"I believe you might be right," Sagittari said after a moment, using a glass to inspect it further. "The scratches are bloody but the bite marks are too clean… I had better give him an antitoxin and perhaps a potion that works against blood charms as well to be on the safe side. Where was he when this happened?"

"He was out for exercise… he never goes farther than Hogsmeade, he tires too quickly, so it had to have been either there or in the Dark Forest," Jennifer explained. "And if it attacked Ratfly it may have known who it belongs to. I'm going to contact the Ministry."

"You might consider locking down the school…"

"Already done," Jennifer reassured him.

"I'll need to keep him to make sure there's no lingering infections on curses on him, but I'll bring him into the hospital wing with me so that I will be there if needed," Sagittari said solemnly.

"Thank you, Sagittari, but hopefully nothing will find a way through," Jennifer said, petting her bat one last time before slipping out the door with a sigh. The moment she stepped into the hall, a screeching violin got her attention, and she hurried over to the nearest painting to find Severus standing in a field of popped corn. "Is something wrong?" she asked, and he gestured with exasperation. "The Grackle's bed count was one short? Oh no!" Jennifer groaned. "He would pick tonight to go visit her, wouldn't he? Well, get someone to go after him…"

"Jennifer!" Hermione called out as she burst into the hall from a secret passage, a bit out of breath. "There are wolves lingering near the school! I was up securing the Owlery and I noticed several coming out of the woods…"

"Calm down, Hermione, Donnacht clan vampires cannot get in unless they're invited in. You know that…"

"Really? Then how did they get into the Ministry?" Hermione challenged her.

"Public building, I suppose…"

"That doesn't mean the public has unlimited access, does it?" Hermione said. Jennifer began to think about it, and then quickly waved it off.

"I don't know right now and perhaps you have a point, so we'll err on the side of caution. Who's on broom patrol tonight?"

"Ace and Danny."

"Well, have them pull back and ask them to stay on the grounds and preferably double-checking the castle to make sure there aren't any open windows or other entry points compromised while I get word to the Ministry to send a squad down here to deal with it," Jennifer said.

"You're not going out there yourself, are you?" Hermione asked.

"Severus made it clear in his security outline that he didn't anyone to become an obvious target," Jennifer said. "For once we're going to do it his way. After all, he is the…" she felt a lump in her throat as the howls of several wolves sounded in the distance. A strong fear washed over them like a bad feeling they couldn't quite shake, leaving the two women staring at each other with pale faces. "Right. Let's go."

"Right," Hermione quickly agreed and the two women split up to finish securing the school.

* * *

"I have the list of smoke and water damages," Severus continued, ignoring the interruption completely. "Fortunately, everything is covered other than the loss to the crops, a fair trade considering what would have happened had Fortuna not stepped in and that spell had run its course."

"Yes, yes, Severus, the board had no intention of questioning her part in this," Balmweed said impatiently. Erik raised an eyebrow at him. "The question lies in why did these Four Horsemen attack the students in the first place."

"I have no idea what their motives are," Severus said.

"Don't you? I don't suppose it ever occurred to you that they might be after the Stone," Balmweed challenged him.

"Out in a field of oats in the middle of a harvest?" Severus challenged back.

"A diversion tactic," Balmweed said evenly.

"And yet they didn't split up. No, they were after something else, as to what I have no idea, but I do believe that somehow those four individuals were responsible for instigating this war with the vampires… and vampires would have no interest in that sort of alchemy," Severus said.

"You are missing the point," Balmweed said impatiently. "It is endangering students by being in the school."

"You have no way of knowing exactly where I keep it, Norman, and even if it were in the school, it has been in and out of that school since Dumbledore began teaching there and no students have been injured by its presence."

"And what about that Potter business, just before it was destroyed?"

"With all due respect, Potter's injuries were more of a result of his attempts of thwarting the traps that the faculty put in place and is fully to blame for his own actions in the matter." A soft noise came from the far corner of the table, but when Severus flicked his eyes in her direction, Minerva was quite composed. "And although it has caused plenty of personal grievance for my family, that is not the board's concern. It is my property, not the school's property. You'll find I filed all the proper paperwork with the Ministry; it's listed as 'Obscure Mineral Experiment Number One' in the official records if you care to look it up. I, however, am of the opinion that the most harm that can come of this is the fact that people seem to be more interested in my personal possessions than the welfare of the school itself. And if it is all the same to you, I would like to get back to matters that do directly affect the school instead of this silly nonsense."

"All in favor?" Eric said before Balmweed had time to respond. Tonks, Minerva and Stella were quick to put up their hands, while the majority of the board followed behind.

"Very well, I'll drop the subject for now," Balmweed said with annoyance, making it obvious to Severus that the old wizard was far from done on the subject despite the temporary setback.

"So how long will it take the Muggle farm laboratory to be restored?" Eric asked as if the interruption had never happened.

"A month or so, considering the electronics cannot easily be repaired by magic. It will probably be ready before we return from the Christmas holiday, however unless conditions changed dramatically before then, I plan to keep the students closer at hand," Severus said.

There was a soft knock at the door and Severus went over to open it for Harold.

"Sorry, sir, but a note just arrived from the school, it's marked urgent," Harold explained. Severus took the note and opened it, pondering it thoughtfully.

"Don't tell us. You have to dash off again," Norman said critically.

"On the contrary, the school has been locked down for the evening," Severus said.

"What's wrong, Severus?" Eric asked with alarm.

"Vampires in the Dark Forest, it would seem…"

"What? Why wasn't I told?" Tonks demanded, jumping out of her seat.

"Perhaps because of the meeting?" Eric suggested.

"I gotta go," Tonk said, dashing out of the room. Everyone turned and gazed at the doorway where Gimler had leapt back to keep from getting in her way.

"So, I see it's already starting," Norman grunted. Severus turned back around and fixed his gaze on him.

"Vampires are _not_ interested in anything that prolongs human life," Severus said flatly. "And I for one am done with your petty nitpicking when I have a lot more important things to do right now than bicker. There is a war going on, a war in which you voted for, as I recall. You have no one to blame but yourself. Now, may we get back to school business, or shall we just call it a night?"

"Come to think of it, it is getting a bit late to be out, which brings me to one of the topics Norman himself wanted to bring up. Is there any possibility of us meeting earlier in the afternoon, Severus, until the altercations are over?" Eric asked.

"Very well, but we'll have to move them to Thursdays when I don't have a class planned," Severus said.

"All in favor?" Eric asked.

To that everyone agreed, as well as agreeing to adjournment. Only Norman crossed his arms and didn't put up his hand, eying Severus with obvious disapproval. But Severus turned around quite unperturbed, only annoyed at himself for letting it get to him. Perhaps it was the truth of the matter that was actually bothering him rather than the board itself; the Stone's known existence did very well put the school in more danger. If only Sirius hadn't taken his shouting match to the hallways!

Sighing to himself at the reminder, Severus glanced at his watch and decided to check in the hospital. He felt several eyes on him when he entered, but he focused on his destination and didn't stop until he saw Zoë in standing in the hallway outside of the waiting room.

"Don't tell me you're going to get Dad all worked up again," Zoë said without even an attempt at a polite greeting.

"I have no intention of it, no. I suppose by that you mean he has calmed down?" Severus conjectured.

"Well, this morning he was brooding pretty bad when he woke up and found himself still in the hospital," Zoë sighed. "At first we thought he was going to have one of his spells again. But after that counselor showed up he started acting like himself again…well, as much as he can considering how weak he still is."

"Counselor?" Severus asked.

"Arnold Jeffers," Zoë said. "You know… ruddy face and no neck…"

"Thank you, I remember who Jeffers is, although I cannot fathom what he would want to see your father about," Severus said.

"Can't say," Zoë said, shrugging noncommittally. "Just that he was calmer."

"Fine. Where is your mother?" Severus asked.

"Oh, she's begged a headache like she always does after having a row with Dad and went home about half an hour ago," Zoë admitted. Severus squinted.

"What on earth could they possibly be fighting about considering his condition?" Severus asked flatly.

"Can't say," Zoë shrugged again. Severus squinted.

"Can't as in, 'don't know' or can't as it, "not willing to tell me?" Severus asked.

"Can't say," Zoë shrugged.

"Very well, I didn't come here to play twenty questions with you. I'll simply corner her when I return to the school in the morning. If there are any emergencies, I'll be at the house tonight," Severus said.

"All right, Uncle Severus. I'll make sure word gets to the house if anything comes up you ought to know about," Zoë promised.

"Thank you," Severus said dryly, but his stern, suspicious gaze watched her a bit longer as if waiting for some sort of confession. Finally, he turned around and made his way back towards the front. As he turned the corner, Zack's head popped out from the waiting room's doorway.

"Well parried, Sis. You've still got the touch when it comes to dealing with Uncle Severus," Zack said with appreciation.

"I certainly don't want to be the one to tell him. Besides, it's not our business who our father wants to sue and for what, and I have every intention of staying out of this one," Zoë said firmly. "And you should too."

"Don't worry, I plan to stay away from this as well," Zack agreed. "Far, far away."


	25. The Fear Factor

Twenty-Five

The Fear Factor

"It's no use, Mr. Atchison," Fiona Flume said, putting down the charmed crowbar and sitting down on a stool in the cellar. "There can be no doubt about it, there's no getting in. Hogwarts must be locked down for the night."

"Well, I'm going to have to find a way in somehow. I can't stay out here," Dirk said with frustration, glaring at the trap door before getting to his feet. "If I don't get back, my housemates will start to ask all sorts of questions that I'm not going to want to answer."

"But it's after curfew. You're likely to get stopped if you go outside now. Perhaps it'd be best if I asked my father if we could put you up until morning," Fiona said.

"Thanks anyway, Miss Flume, but I really must find a way back to the castle," Dirk insisted.

"I had better see you out, then. We've been closing up shop early, what with the new curfew and all," Fiona explained, trying to be cheerful despite her concern. "I hope you'll mind the patrols, Mr. Atchison. If you're caught on the streets after hours I imagine that will also cause folks to ask all sorts of questions."

"I'll be careful," Dirk said. But as she opened the door, they were both quite surprised to see Corey Willowby standing there.

"Oh, good evening, Corey! Whatever are you doing here?" Fiona asked.

"Part of Plan B, I think… or one of the other contingency plans my parents cooked up," Corey joked. "There is only one way into the castle when it's on lockdown; not even the Owls are let back in until morning. Fortunately for you, I happen to know the way," Corey explained. "And that is by visiting my sister."

"They'll never open that door at night," Fiona said, shaking her head.

"Don't worry, she'll be expecting us," Corey promised. "Come along, Head Boy, let's get you back to where you belong before anyone else notices you missing."

"Anyone else?" Dirk repeated, but then remembered himself and turned to Fiona. "Thank you, Miss Flume."

"Take care of yourself, Mr. Atchison," Fiona said with a smile. She watched them as they stepped away from the doorway and into the shadows, shaking her head thoughtfully.

Corey focused his attention on the sky, determined not to give the RBF any reason to stop them and ask nosy questions. He studied their movements carefully, keeping a hand in front of Dirk.

"Come on," Corey said and suddenly bolted across the street, making Dirk scramble to catch up. "We'll stay under the eaves here as we make our way around so we can't be seen from above. Fortunately, it's just around to the side of the studio here, but there is something I'd like to say before we get there."

"Yes?"

"Please don't do this again," Corey said seriously, gently knocking on the door. "I know things are scary for Nancy right now, but I'd rather you not get caught sneaking about. The Headmaster has enough to deal with between the war and whoever these Four Horsemen are. What he doesn't need are parents storming in about letting sons sneak off to visit Muggle girls."

"It isn't like he knows anything about it," Dirk said irritably.

"Then how did I know you were out of the castle?" Corey asked, knocking again.

Just then the door opened and two hands reached out and grabbed them, dragging them in and slamming the door behind them. They turned curiously around and saw a brown haired man leaning against the door, gasping for air and holding his chest as if he was going to have a heart attack. A much calmer woman that Dirk recognized as Alicia Pyther stood beside her husband.

"Sorry about the delay, I had to convince him to open the door," she explained.

"There are vampires out there! I hear wolves, I recognize the language…" Pyther panted.

"Oh, stop it. You're imagining things," Alicia scowled at him.

"Then why did Jennifer lock down the school, hmmm?" he challenged maniacally. "Don't you dare lie to me. I know what I hear."

"There are wolves in the Forest," Corey agreed calmly. Alicia gave him a dirty look. "Do you suppose you can help me get Dirk back to the castle? I really need to be getting back home."

"DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR AGAIN!" Francis shrieked, slapping himself against the door with his arms out, bracing himself so nobody could open it.

"Francis, I swear you are proof positive that no matter how men get, they're still immature at times!" Alicia said with exasperation.

"I don't think he's a very good judge. He's hardly typical," Corey said defensively. "I'm sure Alicia can take me through the paintings as well, Pyther."

"Yes, just stay here and watch the children. I'll only be a minute," Alicia sighed.

"A minute as in a general sort of moment or a fixed measurement of time?" Francis asked.

"Fine! Ten minutes then!" Alicia said with exasperation. "Give me your hand, Dirk."

"Ten minutes then," Francis said, taking out his watch and diligently winding it as Alicia pulled Dirk and Corey into a painting of Hogwarts. He watched them step away then began concentrating on his watch, so much so that he didn't notice his son toddle up beside him with his arms stretched out menacingly.

"Boo!" Michael said wickedly, making his father let out a squeal and drop his watch.

"That was not funny," Francis said, a bit flustered when the toddler began giggling at him.

"Let's go just a few paintings this way," Alicia said, jumping from frame to frame to get into the lower section of the castle. "I'll have to let you down outside the house rooms so that you don't get seen dropping out of a painting."

"That would be an amazing sight," Dirk agreed, fascinated in spite of himself about their mode of travel. "How do you do it, anyhow? How can you do it at all?"

"It's a long story, but the short version of it is that I inherited it from my husband," Alicia explained. Dirk stared at her in apparent confusion. She grinned. "Just be glad I can do it or you'd really be toast."

"Very glad, thanks," Dirk agreed, hopping out of the painting in the hallway. Without another word to the two in the painting, Dirk hurried towards the common room, the painting opening without prompting just before he arrived at the door allowing him to slip in.

The Common Room of Conspiracies was still filled with students, most of them were talking nervously in small groups while untouched schoolbooks and scrolls were scattered around the room.

"And just where have you been?" Don demanded loudly, stepping away from the group of boys he had been standing in.

"I'm a Slytherin Prefect, Coventry. I don't have to answer to you," Dirk said curtly. "Is everyone accounted for?"

"Now," Bindy said evenly.

"Good," Dirk said. He glanced over at Helena, standing near Don with a fixed expression on her face. "The wolves we are hearing are undoubtedly vampires, and although we are on lockdown, they can still affect us by exerting their aura of fear at the school in an attempt to flush us out. As long as we remember that we are safer in the castle than out of it, it should not affect us."

"Do you suppose they're going to go after Hogsmeade?" Cain asked.

"Hogsmeade is being patrolled by the RBF, so there's no reason to worry about the town. Besides, they've been wary about vampires ever since Foncé moved over there. Even the Haveners are well versed in them."

"Haveners?" Don snorted. "Those stupid Muggles are probably running around town with crosses and garlic."

"You mean similar to the way you did when you had to sit class with Pyther?" Dirk challenged him.

"Please. I just did that to get on his nerves," Don said, rolling his eyes.

"That is something you are known for being good at," Dirk agreed evenly. "Stay in groups if you can, but everyone get your homework done. Having a few vampires in the Forest is no excuse for letting our marks and points suffer."

As everyone began to gather their books, Helena quickly slipped from Don's side and made her way over to where Dirk stood watching the movements calmly.

"You had me really worried this time. I thought you might have been locked out of the castle," Helena whispered softly, standing at his side and surveying the room.

"I did get locked out. Alicia Pyther got me back in," Dirk murmured. Helena glanced sideways at him.

"Are you going to get in trouble?" she whispered.

"I don't know," Dirk admitted. "Maybe not, considering she dropped me off here instead of the Headmaster's Study."

"The Headmaster went to a board meeting. Maybe that's why," Helena whispered.

"Hey! You two had better not be getting cozy over there," Don said, frowning at the sideways exchange between the prefects.

"Don't be ridiculous, Coventry, she's a Weasley. I'm surprised you're even bothering her," Dirk said. "Then again, considering her parents can both use magic, I'm surprised she's bothering with you as well." Don's growl was stopped by a couple of seventh year boys who had come up beside him. "Everyone to your tasks, please. You as well, Bindy," he said when he saw her staring at Helena with a frown.

Bindy had turned with glee to see what sort of response Helena would have to his implied insult, and couldn't help but be a bit surprised that she hadn't reacted at all. It was almost as if she had been quite indifferent to the remark… as if it hadn't mattered.

"Fine," she said at last, turning to get her books. It was at that moment that several wolves howled in the distance, flooding everyone in the room with a sensation of pure terror.

"Move," Dirk hissed. "I don't care what they throw at us. We won't be seen as cowards." Across the room, Maurice nodded at him approvingly, shuffling a deck of cards that had inadvertently gotten scattered a moment ago and dealt them out to his friends.

* * *

"Leu! Come out from there!" Noah said for the third time. Finally he stuck his head into the bed so he could see the boy under it. "Do you have any idea how silly you look right now? I doubt anyone else is hiding under the bed."

"I bet some are! Listen to those wolves!" Leu said.

"Well, they can't get in here," Noah said. "Come on, let's go out to the common room. I thought I heard your mum's voice just now." Leu slowly crawled out and straightened his clothes before following Noah, nearly forgetting to open the door after the ghost went through it in front of him.

"Now I know most of you except for the first years have studied Boggarts and Dementors by now, and all of you have had a crash course in vampires," Professor Craw said, glancing around and making eye contact with as many of them as she could. "This is simply a magical fear attack that is meant to put you in a panic and make you believe that you are not safe where you are so that you will flee from it. Since the Donnacht clan has a quirk that prevents them from coming in unannounced, they are especially strong with this tactic. You must stay brave and ignore it, or at the very least, be brave enough to tell your housemates if you're having trouble dealing with it so that they can help you." She paused and smiled over at Leu and Noah, who were still standing in the hallway looking in. "If you take my advice, I would have the seventh years organize a bit of a slumber party out here so everyone can stay together. If you like, I can arrange some soothing tea and sandwiches to help you sleep as well."

"Thank you, Professor Craw, we'll do our best," Pimra said, several of the others speaking up in favor of the idea.

"Thank you, I'll go check on the other houses then since I see you're in good hands," Jennifer said, slipping out the door.

"It's good to see you down here, Leu, we weren't sure you'd come out," Paula admitted.

"Yeah, we figured you'd be hiding under the bed or something," Jimmy sneered.

"Don't be ridiculous, Leu isn't scared of vampires, are you?" Noah said supportively.

"Well…"

"They're not as scary as sharks, are they?" Noah interrupted.

"Well, no, not if you put it that way," Leu admitted.

"You're afraid of sharks?" Colby asked blankly.

"I used to dive for treasure off of old wrecks when I worked for the goblins, sometimes in shark cages where they swam all around trying to get at me," Leu said quietly.

"In that case, it sounds like you have a very valid reason to be afraid of them, I'd say," Jessica said. "I'm afraid of clowns myself… they seem so… inhuman."

"Lots of people are scared of clowns, it stems from being scared of strangers," Kim said. "I've always been afraid of spiders and crawly things."

"I don't blame you," Paula said, shuddering.

"Is… is it strange to you that I'm afraid of water?" Noah asked.

"Of course not. After all, you did drown in it," Jessica said. "What are you scared of, Jimmy?"

"Who, me? Not a thing!" Jimmy snorted. "Certainly not some creepy old howling noises!"

"I know what Jimmy is afraid of," Noah said, getting everyone's attention. "He's afraid of Copper." Quite a few of the students around him laughed outright, while Jimmy turned a bright shade of red and looked quite uncomfortable.

* * *

Jennifer couldn't help but be a little surprised to find the lights had been dimmed in the Gryffindor common room. A large group of students huddled near the fireplace, while smaller groups of students sat in circles around single candles placed on the floors.

Suddenly she heard a loud noise and several screams, and she whirled around on one foot to see that all the other students had turned and staring at a group in the corner that suddenly broke into giggles. A wave of relief moved though the room, causing several of the other students to chuckle nervously as well.

Placing her hands on her hips and squinting at the group in the corner, Jennifer carefully made her way over to see it was Hope's face shadowed next to the candle, her hood pulled up for a more dramatic effect.

"Are you telling ghost stories?" Jennifer said with complete exasperation.

"It was Hope's idea," Natalie said brightly. "Everyone was in a panic until she suggested it. It's working splendidly well!"

"Well, if we're all going to be creeped out and scared, I'd like it to be for a good reason," Hope said. "No matter what they throw at us, it's not as scary as one of my stories." Harriet and Kaylynn nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Goodness, you are certainly your father's daughter," Jennifer said, shaking her head in amazement. "Where is Lucky?"

"She's still in her room studying, the old party pooper. I swear she's no fun anymore!" Hope said with exasperation.

"That'll do, thank you… oh, but ten points, I think, for somehow managing to keep the situation under control," Jennifer added. Hope beamed proudly, but the moment Jennifer slipped towards the girl's dorms, her face grew dark and mysterious again as she picked up the story from where she left off.

Lucky looked up with a start when the door opened, but then relaxed almost immediately, turning her attention back to her books.

"You really shouldn't be up here by yourself right now," Jennifer said, listening to the cry of another wolf in the distance.

"I'm not. Houdini is on my lap," Lucky shrugged. "Besides, nothing is scarier than my entrance exams tomorrow, and spooky voices in my head saying it's not safe in here is nothing new. Of course it's not safe; I'm here, and I'm my own worst enemy."

"Hm," Jennifer said with an enigmatic smile. "I suppose Hope isn't the only one around here who has become her father's daughter." Lucky gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment before nodding.

"Thanks," she said simply. "So how's everyone else holding up?"

"I just need to check on Hufflepuff, but I expect they're doing as well as the rest of you are," Jennifer reassured her.

"Ambrose is probably in there leading them in a sing along or something," Lucky snorted, causing Jennifer to laugh.

"I wouldn't doubt it, but try to get some sleep… but if it starts to get to you, head to the common room," Jennifer advised.

"Yeah, okay," Lucky agreed, but was glad when Jennifer finally left her alone with her studies.

Jennifer couldn't help but chuckle again when she opened the door to Hufflepuff and heard students singing songs often sung around the cauldron during brewing parties. After that, she checked up on the patrol and then hurried to her sitting room to see Andrew sprawled out on a chair.

"Is he all right?" Jennifer asked, checking the crib.

"The fear doesn't seem to be affecting Quintin at all," Andrew said, but the soft strain in his voice betrayed the fact that he wasn't immune to it himself.

"Quintin is probably just too young to understand the sorts of fears they like to prey on. I'm grateful for that," Jennifer decided, murmuring a spell at the fire. A moment later, the flame sparked and an image appeared. "So you are at home, then?" she asked the image.

"Obviously," Severus said. "Everyone accounted for?"

"Yes…well, now, at least," Jennifer said dryly. "We're at full security but they have been trying to frighten us. The students have all been inventive in their ways to ignore it, and I really don't think we'll have any trouble keeping them at bay."

"That is good to hear, although I'm not certain they will be content to leave the area empty handed," Severus mused. "Not after they've gotten this far. This is some sort of demonstration that another vampire has taken over Foncé's territory here."

"So they'll be attacking Hogsmeade?" Jennifer asked with a frown.

"More than likely, yes… now don't you dare think of barreling over there, Jennifer. The RBF and the Auror Department are already there and you would only get in the way. Everyone you might be concerned about is off the streets and barricaded in for the night and they know how to handle a vampire fear attack. I only hope the rest of the town is as wary. But you stay here and watch my school."

"Don't worry, Severus, I'll stay, although it does put us on the defensive again, doesn't it?" Jennifer said.

"The vampires aren't the true threat, only the distraction that comes with them," Severus said. "And considering what it is that Foncé is attempting to do, it is quite possible that the Donnacht Clan is actually more of a threat to the Four Horsemen than they are to us."

* * *

"Again."

Three blasts of light lit up the woods behind Nelson's manor, aimed at a dark shadowed cloak that had been placed upon a somewhat abstract stone lawn sculpture. It was strange; the long hooded cloak had very little distinguishing marks, and it draped over the stone as if it were a figure partially turned away. But despite the target's vague quality, Amadeus wondered if Ludo had meant it to be Snape. Then again, were Foncé there, he would have imagined it to be Rafe, Amadeus mused. Would Nelson be thinking of Snape as well?

"Not good enough! Again!" Bagman growled, and Amadeus tried to regain his alertness as the synchronizing spell was cast again and the three cast simultaneously at the dummy. But although Amadeus thought they had done better, Bagman let out an annoyed sigh. "Longbottom, what are you doing?"

"The same as everyone else, obviously…"

"You may start that way, but during the cast your spell falls a half a second behind ours. That isn't acceptable; we cannot underestimate the enemy's observing skills. If they see you as the weakest link, they will use that against us!" he snapped. "Let me see just the two of you try, Nelson, at least the both of you _almost_ get along."

What did he mean by almost, Amadeus wondered as they renewed the spell. They had business ventures together for a while, but the dry comment out of the blue like that seemed as if Bagman believed that relationship was strained…

"Again! Damn it, Longbottom, you are not focusing! Your mind is miles away when it has no business being anywhere but on your objective!" Bagman said.

"Perhaps we ought to break out a bottle of wine," Nelson suggested.

"Not yet," Bagman growled. He seemed to half-stomp, half-float over to where Amadeus was standing. "I am quite certain that I know what the problem is now. Longbottom is letting his emotions get in the way."

"He has always done that," Nelson snorted.

"That is no longer a luxury he can have," Bagman said, fixing his gaze on Amadeus. "If there is one thing I learned in my years of public service, it is how important it is to simply get the work done without letting my own morals, fears, and personal ties play into it. You must put all of that aside and learn to accept some simple principles. For every job, every need, every want that can be had by a person… there are objectives you need to accomplish to fulfill it. Right now, the objective is to strengthen our magic so that no one can stop us from getting what we want. That cloaked stone over there is the objective… ironically enough," he added dryly.

"The spell is the way we reach that objective; what it does and what type of magic it is really doesn't matter, all that truly matters is getting the job done. A spell has no feeling; it is cold, calm, and collect. How you feel doesn't matter. All that matters is using whatever spell we say to get the job done, no matter what the job is, even if it means killing someone. After all, it isn't that you personally want them dead, is it? You are only meeting an objective. If you learn to meet those without second-guessing yourself, our goals will be accomplished. Nothing else and no one else matters. Emotion has no place here; we are simply doing a job to further our goals. Calm, cool, and collect with precise movements and actions. Nothing else matters. No one else matters. No one else exists; only we exist. Everything is an obstacle; a non-entity; an obstruction. You cannot truly murder an obstacle, it is simply something that must be dealt with. That is something that the three of us already know and you must learn if we are going to succeed. Now… again, without feeling! Meet the objective! The stone is cold, as you must be to survive. Split that rock into two!" Bagman barked, joining hands with Nelson once again.

Tired but focused, Amadeus followed the motions of the other two men, and couldn't help but be slightly surprised at how easily the target fell apart that time.

"Again," Bagman said, putting the stone together again. After they had gone through it several times, he grunted. "Fine, now lets try it on horseback. After you," he added. Amadeus sighed and massaged his wrist as he walked towards the stable, looking back only once to make sure the other two were following, if not a bit slower.

"I want you to work with him daily, whatever it takes to get him desensitized," Bagman murmured to Nelson. "He must start acting without hesitation and without those annoying bouts of pointless emotion. I don't know how you've put up with it this long."

"Yes you do," Nelson said calmly. "However, I will see if I can make him more tolerable for all of us."

"Just get him to stop questioning orders and start casting when he is supposed to," Bagman growled.

As the came closer, a tall shadow appeared in the dim light of the stables, a flash of red evident in his eyes even as he stepped away from the building.

"So you finally decided to show up, I see," Bagman observed.

"Considering I have banished from the country, I believe I deserve a bit of leeway," Foncé said, fixing his gaze on the ghostly figure. "Rafe has decided that I would be better off concentrating on my northern territories and gave control of Scotland to his new pet."

"Trelawney?" Bagman squinted.

"She and half a dozen seasoned vampires have gone to raid Hogsmeade, not only as a claim to the territory but in an attempt to discredit me for being 'overly cautious' in my handling of the area," Foncé said. "Rafe still does not believe that wizards are a threat to him; they are merely an inconvenience that should be dealt with when necessary."

"Then perhaps it's time that he learned that wizards feel the same way about him," Bagman said coolly. "We need to get rid of that woman once and for all before she exposes us. Foncé, return to your northern territories and go somewhere public so that they can see you are there. Trelawney knows that you are one of us and we must have a way to discredit that."

"I would not be able to assist you in any case. Good luck," Foncé said with a bow before turning into a dark mist that blended in with the shadows.

"It would be nice to have an excuse to get out of every move we make like Foncé has, especially when most of what we have done so far as been for his benefit. We're never going to get anywhere if we're not together. It defeats the whole point of making an alliance in the first place," Amadeus complained.

"So is your inability to follow through," Bagman snapped. "But I agree. Regardless of what happens tonight, this will be the last time we will move without all of us being together. So let's make sure we finish the job!"

* * *

Wing Commander Holiday hovered on his broom above the town, listening to the howling in the Dark Forest and watching the dense fog developing over the low-lying areas beyond the lake.

"It sounds as if they are moving closer, sir," one of his wingmen commented.

"Have one of our patrols take a look, but use caution. They very well may be more than just wolves," Holiday said.

"Commander, I see brooms approaching and they're not ours," his other wingman reported.

"The devil you say! At this hour? It's well past curfew…" Holiday began, and was ready to give the order to apprehend them when he noticed they were approaching. "It would appear to be those silly Aurors again!"

"We are under the Minister's orders to cooperate with them," the wingman reminded him.

"How I hate it when the Ministry decides to get involved in military affairs! They'd be better off just funding us and let us do our jobs, rather than interfere in something that really isn't any of their business. Oh, very well! If we must tolerate them, we must, orders are orders!" Holiday said with exasperation, lighting up his wand long enough that the two approaching could seem them clearly and fly over.

"I'm Harry Potter, from the Auror Department…"

"Yes, I know who you are," Holiday said impatiently.

"We've had reports from the school of vampire activity in their area. I have a couple of Aurors over there watching for trouble, and thought that Tonks and I had better come and warn you since they're likely to come here when they figure out they can't get into the school," Harry said.

"Of course they are coming here. They would have no reason to attack a school," Holiday said.

"You've been overseas, haven't you?" Tonks ventured.

"Of course, old girl, nothing ever happens over here, at least until now," Holiday said, making Tonks and Harry exchange looks. "What in Hell's blazes is that?"

All of them looked around to see something dark creeping over the ground and then realized it was a rolling fog, lapping over the roads like rising water from the lake. It was thick and dark and didn't seem to rise more than three feet off the ground. Soon the streets themselves couldn't be seen, nor the porches of any of the businesses. And even though lights of candles and lanterns could be seen within the buildings, they all seemed strangely dimmer. It was then that they felt a inexplicable sense of panic coursing through them, and several of the brooms moved upwards a bit.

"Steady, steady now. This is simply one of their tricks," Holidays said in a voice that breached no argument and an angry flash in his eye. "Stand fast if you wish to live."

"There is someone coming," Tonks said, her voice a bit weak but sounding fairly calm.

Harry looked in the down the street past Tonks to see a lone feminine figure in a hooded black cloak walking down the middle of the street, her footsteps completely silent. All he could see of the woman was a strand of black hair that had escaped the hood and a pair of old white hands that seemed quite chalky even in the pale lamplight. Suddenly, the lights began to go out around her one by one, snuffed out as easily as candles.

"Cover me, I'm going down to talk to her," Harry said.

"What? Are you crazy, it could be a trap," Tonks hissed.

"Yes, that's why you're covering me," Harry said calmly.

"If she's a Donnacht, why don't we just dispose of her now?" one of the wingman said.

"We don't know for certain that she is, do we?" Harry said, floating straight down behind her and getting off his broom so not to appear as a threat.

The woman was still walking down the street with the Put-Outer, so Harry was quite sure she hadn't noticed him at first. He walked cautiously closer, careful to stay as close to the middle of the road as possible since he couldn't see his feet clearly.

"Excuse me," Harry called out, and the woman stopped in her tracks, putting her hands to her sides. "Good evening. I'm not sure what you're doing there and why, but you may not know that this town is under a curfew at the moment. It isn't safe to be out in the streets right now," he said with a pause, but she hadn't moved. "Can I help you?"

"Are you sure you want to help me, Mr. Potter?" asked the woman. Her voice was quiet and yet so familiar that Harry found himself struggling to recognize it. He had heard that voice…a long time ago… or perhaps it was recently, but if so it had been a long time since it had been this calm… "I don't think you ever really wanted to help me, although I did often try to help you, Mr. Potter, many, many times. But you never listened, did you? You never listened in class, and I doubt you're truly interested in listening to me now. My advice always met deaf ears, even though… in its own way… my predictions always came true, didn't they? You even saw the Grim, did you not?"

Harry found himself backing up in surprise.

"Professor…Madame Trelawney, is that you? We thought… I mean, we were rather afraid you were dead… after what happened at the hospital," Harry said, keeping a hand on his wand.

"Yes, of course I am dead, Harry, at least in your eyes. But to others, I have obtained something beyond mortality," she said, turning around to look at him. Her face itself had not changed; similar to the way it had been when he had last seen her. But her hair was as black as the night and her eyes flashed red, and a strange ring was on her hand with a stone that glowed red and orange in the darkness.

"So you are a Donnacht now, I see," Harry said, wondering how close the others were.

"Yes, the Reverent Father himself is responsible for my rebirth, and I have come back strong and unclouded by the diseases of humanity. I have regained my sanity and my visions. And do you know what I see, Mr. Potter?"

"Um, I suppose you see me dying some sort of horrible death, more than likely," Harry guessed.

"No," Sibyl said primly. "I see you rising to new heights, and obtaining that which Dumbledore and Snape have only dreamed of. I see you achieving true everlasting immortality."

"That's a new one," Harry admitted, and then noticed that something seemed to be moving below the level of mist. "I really don't think I have heard that prediction before, although to be perfectly honest, I think I prefer the horrible death ones, actually."

"Really? Oh, don't worry," Sibyl said with an enigmatic smile as inhuman red eyes started to flash from inside the dark mist. "I can make that happen as well."

"Really? That's nice," Harry said, and then leapt onto his broom, sensing the oncoming attack.

Black wolves with red eyes jumped out of the mist in an attempt to get at him, one even succeeding in holding onto the bristles and keeping him from gaining speed until he finally managed to kick it hard in head, forcing it to let go.

"Backup! Where the hell is my backup? Vampire attack, you idiots!" he yelled in a panic as he soared over to where he had last left the others. But as he reached the right height he saw a cloud so dark that it covered the moon, until he realized it wasn't a cloud at all, but a swarm of bats hovering over the south side of town.

"We know already!" Tonks snapped at him, blasting one that had strayed too close.

"God, I haven't seen anything like this since…" Harry began, then trailed off.

"Go ahead, say it," Tonks said. But Harry simply looked around at the battle going on around him and how helplessly outnumbered they are, the strength of their fear spells tightening his throat. "I'm going to go help the RBF. Don't die or anything, okay?"

"Probably not a good idea, considering what would happen," Harry said, still thinking about the threat in Trelawney's voice as Tonks zoomed away on her broom.

Death… immortality as a vampire… neither sounded too appealing… why was he so shaken up? Was it just because of who had spoken to him, or was it something else? He shuddered, reminding himself that the fear around him was no different than the Dementors. He should easily fight it off now, as he had so many times as a youth… but then, he wasn't young now. Life had become more complicated, the risks harder to take despite the need to make them… as he opened his eyes, he found himself gazing down the streets of Hogsmeade and towards the arts studio at the other end. Suddenly, his thoughts cleared and the fears seemed to ease dramatically. He pushed his broom forward to meet the others, and soon noticed a small number of flashes away from the rest of the forces, centered in the middle of Haven's Row.

Diving back down below the battle and just out of reach of the wolves snapping at him out of the mist, Harry hurried over to where he had seen the lights. There in the middle of the street stood Aurelius, Jamie and Corey, back to back and doing what they could to keep the fog clear so they could see the wolves as they charged.

"Hey! Weren't you going to be watching the school?" Harry said, landing in the middle of them and taking another corner.

"We did, but then they all came this way all of the sudden," Jamie explained.

"It's a good thing we followed them, it looks like the entire clan is here considering the number," Aurelius said, a strong beam of sunlight streaming out of his wand and forcing a wolf to back up.

"Has anyone spotted Rafe?" Corey asked.

"No, but I saw someone scarier than Rafe," Harry said grimly.

"Who could be scarier than Rafe?" Jamie asked curiously.

"Her," Harry said, pointing past the ring of wolves as a figure, no longer cloaked, began to make their way through them to the edge of the mist.

"It can't be…" Aurelius murmured when the woman looked up.

"Trelawney," Corey said, sounding quite resigned. "I wondered if that was what had happened to her. Essie was having nightmares."

"You could have told us," Aurelius said irritably.

"I see that you do not flee very far, Harry Potter," Sibyl said. "You cannot escape your destiny so easily. Are we trying to protect the Muggles? They are not in any danger. Only the strongest will be taken tonight."

"Thanks, but I think our wives would have a problem with that," Corey said.

"And husbands and boyfriends," Jamie added.

"So you _do_ have a boyfriend," Harry said flatly. Jamie grinned nervously. "Any reason you're trying to keep it from me?"

"You'll have all eternity to discuss that," Trelawney decided. "Shall we go?" Immediately the wands came up again, pointing out in every direction while Harry and Corey kept special guard on Trelawney. "It's just as well, it'll be more fun this way, but I predict it won't be so pleasant for any of you. Take them!" Suddenly, the shapes in the mist grew larger and darker until they found themselves surrounded by vampires, and quite a number of them seemed to have wands of their own.

"_LUMOS SOLEM!"_

Blinding sunlight came down burned in their eyes from above, leaving the five of them wincing with spots before their eyes while the vampires themselves began to writhe in pain. Loud familiar snarling noises sounded along with them, making Harry wonder for a moment if some of them were still in their wolf forms. Wait, was that the right sound?

"How dare you!" Sibyl shrieked, pulling her hood back up and turning in anger to see her opponents. "So! You have returned. I should have known. Are you not pleased to see me?" As Harry's eyes adjusted, he was finally able to look up to see the four horses that were hovering in the sky above them. Immediately, he glanced at the black horse at the end, noting the rider seemed little more than a cloaked shadow. But then, there was something strange about one of the other riders as well…

"When we call someone to their death, Sibyl Trelawney, we expect them to stay dead," the man on the pale horse said coolly. "We are here only to finish the job."

"It was your destiny to lead me to this new reality, Death," Trelawney said calmly. "And you would do well to join me. Think of all the greatness you could accomplish wish such immortality as mine! No wizard's trinket can give you such power or freedom as this!"

"Vampirism isn't freedom, it is imprisonment, and you are a fool to think that we are not capable of realizing it," he snarled.

"And you are a fool for thinking that Death may visit the same person twice. I will not be struck down by you again!" Sibyl swore.

The man didn't seem to acknowledge her, he simply held out his hand to the rider next to him.

"We need to get out of here," Harry murmured, quickly looking away. "Where would be good to meet?"

"The Grove would be safest," Aurelius murmured back.

"I'm not leaving my family here," Corey said stubbornly.

_"Cruoremutos Limus!"_

"No, don't!" Aurelius suddenly shouted, but they had already directed the spell towards Trelawney. Just then, several of the other vampires seemed to grow larger around her, using themselves as a shield to protect her. Cries of surprise and pain rang out so poignant that the terror around them seemed to strengthen tenfold. Three of her protectors crumpled at her feet, their features suddenly gnarled and recoiled and their bodies as stiff as stone.

"The Reverent will hear of this! I swear it!" she cried out. "He will know who his true enemies are!"

"His true enemies are the wizards," Death said calmly. "We are nothing but further proof of that. Again?" he added, offering his hand.

"No! I won't allow it!" Aurelius growled.

"Rel, what are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Only what comes natural," Aurelius said, pointing at the horses. "_Serpensortia!"_

Out of his wand came a very large, menacing snake, shooting out as if launched like a rocket and straight past the noses of the horses. Immediately they reacted, two of them rearing back so suddenly that the riders on them nearly fell off while the black and the white one bolted in different directions with the rider of the white one howling in terror as it sped out of view back towards the town.

"That stupid idiot!" growled the rider of the red horse, quickly regaining control over his mount and charging after the white one.

"Have you gone mad, Snape? Surely even you can see that this woman must die!" the lone rider growled, glaring down at where the others had been. But now the circle they had been standing in was quickly filling in with mist, and none of them were anywhere to be seen. "Damn it all! This is nothing but further proof that the Ministry wants nothing but to prolong this war!"

"I'm not so sure it is the Ministry behind this. Perhaps we could go visit the Reverent Father and let him share your ideas," Sibyl suggested sweetly.

Angrily, the pale rider cast the spell once more at the woman, but the witch blocked it easily with a crooked black wand. Another wave of fear penetrated the area, and although it didn't affect the rider directly, his horse was another matter, finally breaking free of his grip and bolting as quick as it could out of immediate danger.

Suddenly Bagman woke up in a sweat, realizing the strain of the events had caused his spirit to snap back into his normal form. His heart was pounding, his neck was throbbing strangely and he felt quite weak. Shakily he got up to wash his face, looking at himself in the mirror. It was then that he saw the red marks on his neck and began to scream for the guards.


	26. Upon Further Examination

Twenty-Six

Upon Further Examination

"Feast or Famine, that's how it is in the papers these days," Max Starling declared, opening up the paper more fully. "'Rampant Vampire Attacks Terrorize the Country! Military Resources Stretched to the Limits, Say Analysts.'"

"Who exactly are these 'analysts' the paper always claim to get opinions from, anyway? I mean, I've never met anybody claiming to be an 'analyst.' I've never heard of any one going to Hogwarts say they wanted to be an 'analyst' during their career conference," Garvan said.

"Do you think it pays well?" Cain asked.

"Please just keep reading! This is important, you know," Maurice scolded them.

"'Wide-spread attacks by the Donnacht clan were reported last night, including in London around Diagon Alley, Myrkinbrek, and Hogsmeade, as well as several mixed communities near Dover and Cardiff. Although the RBF had little trouble containing the smaller skirmishes in London, Dover, and Cardiff, the Ministry reports that the fighting above Hogsmeade continued until just before sunrise this morning. Because of this, the final casualty lists for last night's battles will not be out until tomorrow,'" Max read. "That sounds like they're awful sure there are going to be some, doesn't it?"

"Well, I hope our boys took plenty of those bloodsuckers out with them," Cain said.

"Oh look, here's another full page recruitment ad for the RBF. Subtle, isn't it?" Max said, showing them an ad with flashing bright lights that ran around the edge of the ad.

"Thanks but no thanks, I appreciate them defending us from vampires, but I don't want to become one of them," Garvan said. "I certainly don't want my name to appear on one of those casualty lists."

"I doubt all of them are soldiers. Some of them could be victims of the vampires…" Max suddenly found his head bashed into Cain's, and the two boys let out exclamations of pain and surprise.

"Could you please refrain from making conjectures about all of this? Stop spreading rumors until we know what is really going on!" Dirk snapped angrily. "Just eat your breakfast and get to class, and stop losing us points!"

"We haven't been losing any," Max began, but Dirk gave them such an icy look that he waited until he had stormed away before he tried to talk again. "I've never seen him like this before, have you?"

"No, but I think he has every reason to be worried," Maurice decided, grabbing the paper so he could read it for himself.

"If I can have your attention for one moment," Madame Black called out, clapping her hands sharply so that everyone would look up from their plates. "I know you had a rough night last night, so I just thought I would remind everyone taking the college exams today that they need to report to the old Muggles Studies room. It is on the far side of the second floor… just down the hall from where the back stairs are. It's going to be a long day, so I suggest you fill up on breakfast. We have about a half an hour or so until our guests arrive, so it'll be about an hour before we start. See you there," she added, glancing at her watch before slipping back to the staff room.

"Muggle college exams. What a waste of time," Bindy said, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, why would anyone do anything so impractical? Why bother with going to a magic school at all if you're just going to blow it by studying for a Muggle job in some obscure Muggle university? Take Lucky for example. She has all that talent for numbers, and she wants to waste it in some Muggle business."

"I don't think it's all that surprising, actually," Dirk said, poking at his breakfast with disinterest. "Some people learn magic to use it, others learn magic to control it. She is simply one of the latter. Madame Black is the same way."

"Another pure waste of talent. Surely she could be doing something more important than teaching Muggle Studies," Bindy said. "I wonder what she meant by guests?" She had the strange feeling that she was talking to herself and noticed Dirk stabbing at his toast. "What is with you today? Are you tired from last night? It was a pain sleeping in Conspiracies, wasn't it?"

"So what if we were uncomfortable? People died last night," Dirk snapped.

"Do be reasonable, Dirk. The Owl Post has been allowed to come and go out of the castle for two hours. Surely if it was anyone we knew we'd have heard by now," Bindy said.

"Look, the Headmaster is back," Helena pointed out from across the table. They both turned around to see Snape and Craw walking down the center aisle, talking quietly. The Headmaster seemed quite intent on listening to his wife, but both seemed quite calm.

"There, you see? There's nothing to worry about. The Headmaster wouldn't be back already if anyone _important_ had died," Bindy said.

"Do you ever shut up? Even for a moment?" Dirk said, getting up. "I need to talk to the Headmaster about something." As he got up, many of the other Slytherin watched him walk off, wondering what was going on.

"He is a complete wash-up for a Prefect, let alone Head Boy," Don said. "I'll be glad to get rid of him next year."

"Oh, shut up, Don! What do you really know of him anyway? You've never done anything but berate him the whole time, and never tried to be in the least bit a friend to him," Bindy snapped.

"Maybe not, but I do know something you haven't figured out yet," Don said calmly, pausing to take a bite of his toast. "He hates your effen guts."

Bindy glared at him fiercely, too flustered for a comeback. Then she notice Helena giving her such a sympathetic look that Bindy finally got up and stormed out of the hall.

"Professor Snape?" Dirk called out just as the Headmaster had reached the back doors. He paused when he heard his name.

"Mr. Atchison," Snape said evenly, while Craw gave him a warm, reassuring smile.

"Have you heard anything about what happened last night in Hogsmeade? About the battle and all?" Dirk asked.

"I haven't had time to hear the Ministry reports, Mr. Atchison. I was in a hurry to get back to the school this morning," Snape said.

"You have several student families living in Hogsmeade, not to mention some of your own family. I'm quite certain you would have checked," Dirk said.

"No one associated with the school was injured that I know of, Mr. Atchison," Snape said.

"Well, what about the Muggles?" Dirk asked.

"Muggles?" Snape asked, raising a brow.

"I'm sorry, the Haveners…" Dirk corrected, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"Muggles. What does that remind me of? Jennifer, did I ask Professor Weasley to deliver that list of Muggle students attending the entrance exams down to Madame Black's office this morning?" he asked.

"You hadn't mentioned it to me," Craw said, gazing at him over the rim of her spectacles.

"Mr. Atchison, would you please run over to the classroom next to Madame Black's office and make certain that she has that list? We have a responsibility to make sure everyone is accounted for. I'm sure Madame Black will write you a pass if necessary."

"Yes, Professor," Dirk said, wondering if the Headmaster meant what he thought that he meant.

"Oh, and one other thing," Snape said, a strange note of tired exasperation in his tone. "The paintings in the halls surrounding the Slytherin houserooms look as if they have been disturbed one too many times. I'd like you to dust them… all of them… the ones in the Slytherin common rooms as well, provided the paintings aren't asleep. And I expect it done by Friday, else you and I are going to have a little chat about how exactly those paintings were disturbed in the first place. Now, check on that list before I change my mind."

"Yes, Professor," Dirk said, quickly going out the door when the Headmaster took a step out of the way.

"You are brilliant, you know that, don't you?" Jennifer said in a low voice with a warm loving smile that spoke volumes more than what she had said.

"I only married you so that you'd be here to constantly remind me of that fact, you know," Severus confided in her expressionlessly. Jennifer chuckled softly and risked a peek down the corridor, unsurprised to find out that Dirk was already out of view.

It hadn't taken Dirk long to get up to the right room, but once there he was reluctant to go in, for Lucky and several other students were already in there. Not one was a Slytherin; but that didn't surprise him. No Slytherin would have been caught dead taking such a humiliating test, not to mention how many of their parents would react… Dirk took a few steps away from the door. After all, he was quite certain that the Headmaster hadn't truly misplaced any sort of list. And if that were so, the only reason he might have sent him over there was to answer his question for him…

"Dirk?" called out a voice that made him nearly jump out of his skin in surprise, turning quickly around to see Ambrose escorting several students down the hallway. One of them was quite unmistakable with her long dark hair hanging in a single braid down her back. "It is you! I was so hoping to see you. Are you taking the test as well?"

"Nancy…" Dirk said, then waited for the others to go inside. "Are you all right? I've been worried out of my mind since last night. Is everyone okay?"

"I had such terrible nightmares," Nancy admitted quietly. "But… everyone says I slept though most of it. Some wizards on flying horses came and chased the vampires out of Haven's Row, and I guess the RBF kept them from causing too much damage, although I hear some of them are missing now. But I'm all right, everyone's all right. We're not going to let a bunch of silly vampires stop us from living our lives, are we?"

"If they have their way, you won't have a life to live," Dirk warned her.

"I'm not as defenseless as you make me out to be, Dirk Atchison. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Nancy said proudly.

"That doesn't mean I'm not going to worry. Believe it or not, I care about what happens to you, you know," Dirk said firmly.

"I know that," Nancy said, glancing around until she noticed where everyone had gone. "So are you coming in?"

"No, I don't think that'd be a good idea. You go on, I'll cheer you on from a distance," Dirk said.

"But I was so hoping you would. It'd make it feel like we were almost in the same school together if you were there. In fact, I doubt I'd struggle so much knowing that you were struggling along side me, it'd be easier somehow. And it'd seem like we weren't so different, or that we didn't have so many problems in the way," Nancy said, but Dirk simply stood there stiffly, gazing at her. "You think I'm being silly again, don't you? Oh, don't worry. I'll just go in there and do my best. I'm sure there are probably a lot of good schools in Uruguay… or whatever country you finally decide we're going to end up in."

"Miss Parker?" Madame Black called impatiently from the doorway. "Are you coming in? The representative from the board is already here waiting and we really need to get started."

"I'm sorry, Madame Black. I'm coming right now," Nancy said apologetically.

"And what about you, Dirk? Are you coming in, or going?" she asked.

"I was just… I was supposed to ask you about… actually, I never signed up for it, really…"

"Well, either you're late for whatever class you're supposed to be in, or you're supposed to be here taking the exams. Which is it?" Black asked.

"I suppose there is no harm in it," Dirk decided with a shrug, stepping in. After all, he wasn't likely to pass it considering how little he knew outside of Muggle class, and it would seem strange taking a test in the same room as Nancy. He was a bit worried about the other students questioning why he was there; but they all seemed to be too busy worrying about themselves to even notice him slipping into one of the back seats. At the very least, perhaps he could get some insight into what Nancy was getting into, he thought to himself, listening intently as Madame Black went over the instructions.

* * *

"So, are you going to tell him?" Aurelius asked quietly as they waiting for the stairs to change.

"I think you should tell him, considering you played a part in their getting away," Harry said.

"We would have had to run eventually anyway," Aurelius said.

"It could have waited until they had taken her out," Harry said irritably.

"No, it couldn't have," Aurelius sighed.

"She is dead, you know, and not like how Pyther was either. I don't think her soul is actually there. She's too sane," Harry said.

"I know. But I still have a responsibility…"

"What about your responsibility for seeking justice, Rel?" Harry said.

"It's all tied together," Aurelius said with a shrug. "At least, that's the way I see it, anyway."

"Fine. You tell him then," Harry said, finding the way to the spiral staircase open and the doors above it as well.

"Taking the long way today, are we?" Severus said casually from behind the desk as they entered the Headmaster's Study.

"Sorry, I was walking off some steam," Harry explained.

"I didn't think either of you had that much steam left, considering that I highly doubt either of you got any sleep last night," Severus said, gesturing towards some chairs. "I suppose the reason for that is why you're here now." Harry glanced over at Aurelius, but Aurelius simply nodded somberly.

"Aren't you going to tell him?" Harry prompted.

"Apparently he already knows," Aurelius said quietly. "He even knows why I stopped the Four Horsemen from continuing." Harry turned to stare at Severus.

"How do you know it? Rel hasn't even told me that, and I know for a fact this is the first time we've had a chance to tear ourselves away and get over here," Harry pointed out.

"Simply enough, I spoke with Corey the moment the sun rose this morning," Severus explained lacing his fingers thoughtfully. "And now at least I can piece together some of what had happened. They had waited until the vampires attacked the Ministry so that everyone would be too occupied to try and follow them that night, but Foncé had slipped away from the fight to join them. After providing an alibi by going to a party where his presence wouldn't be missed after the wine was served, he hurried to the others, who gave Trelawney over to him as a tribute to Rafe so that his presence wouldn't be missed with the clan either. They had obviously expected Rafe to kill her; the old woman not of sound mind and certainly not up to Rafe's normal standards, but Rafe must have been intrigued to learn she was once a Hogwarts professor, and that as well as what I assume must be a growing suspicion of Foncé's intentions prompted him to bring her into the fold.

"That, of course, put the Four Horsemen in a terrible position, since she probably knows a great deal about them. At the very least, she knows who two of the members are; the one who is after the Stone, and Foncé. But considering that Rafe has not turned against him, she must not have evidence at this point that Foncé had anything to do with the war. Regardless of Rafe's own beliefs, it would be her word against his, and Foncé is, if nothing else, widely regarded and feared by the clan as one of the most powerful vampires in Europe. It would take a great deal of evidence before anyone could safely make such an accusation. Even Rafe would not be as foolish to do it. He already has one war on his hands, I doubt he wants an internal war as well."

"But why is it that the Four Horsemen are trying to pin this on the Minister of Mysteries?" Harry asked.

"I have no idea. Perhaps one of the other members is the key to that," Severus said. "Are you certain that they still even looking? I would think that the current events and the constant skirmishes they've been getting into with the Broom Force might have distracted them from that goal."

"No, I'm pretty sure they haven't been now, considering what happened last night. I saw Thomas rushing out of the Ministry towards Azkaban this morning because one of the inmates woke up with bite marks on his neck," Harry said. "It was Bagman."

"Oh? How unlucky for him," Severus said without any sympathy at all. "I seriously doubt that Bagman has a chance in hell of even guessing who the current Minister is, so I don't know what the point of it was."

"I think it was because he was the last minister that was publicly known, so they were striking out at who they knew had been the minister," Harry said. "It definitely proves they haven't forgotten, but I'm less worried about that than I am about how bad that attack was on Hogsmeade last night. They did manage to take some RBF back with them, along with members from the families of several Muggle farms in the area, and I think it's safe to say that Trelawney is the one claiming the territory. We should have let the Horsemen finish her off."

"Don't start that again…" Aurelius began, but stopped abruptly when Severus raised his hand.

"As disturbing as it is to have that woman's face and knowledge running around as a vampire, as far as Rafe is concerned, she is just a new pawn. It does explain why my aunt has taken an interest, and I think I had best have a chat with Icarus and Essie about the issue. However, I know you had no choice but to stop that spell when you saw it being cast, Aurelius, no matter how effective blood to mud may be on vampires. Harry, that spell was the one Jennifer chose to erase during her time as Keeper of Dark Magic because of how Voldemort used it."

"He used spells a lot worse than that," Harry said with annoyance.

"A matter of opinion," Severus said evenly. "And unlike the plague spell, I wouldn't be surprised if the spell is used again, considering is one of the few dark spells that one can use against vampires that they cannot seem to negate. If it had been me, I would have allowed them to use it since it was being used as it was originally intended, but I understand why Aurelius felt he had to intercede. I also do not think this will be the only time that Sibyl makes an appearance, and next time I am certain the ending will have a different result. Especially if she confronts any of us," he added for good measure. Harry nodded in agreement. "For now, perhaps you both should consider getting some rest. It will be dusk again before you know it."

"Thanks for the reminder," Aurelius said dryly.

"Thanks, Severus. We'll keep you informed if anything else happens."

"The same," Severus said.

As they left, Severus glanced at his watch and then at his appointment book thoughtfully.

"Is Jennifer still in class?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. This is her double," Armando said.

"Entrance Exams?"

"They still have a long way to go, Professor," Armando said.

Severus got up and shrugged his shoulders a moment to relieve the stress from them and then went down the stairs. The castle felt tired, he mused as he walked down the corridor towards the back stairwell, but otherwise fairly at ease. Last night's ordeal seemed to have no lasting effect on the school in general.

Outside, a light snow drifted in the air but never seemed to land, somehow making the castle feel even sleepier. How badly would that night's events have on their test scores, he wondered, and then frowned at the hypocrisy of it all. He had never really cared about it up until that year; those exams were handled by the Deputy Headmaster and the Muggle Studies Professor, and it was nothing that he had ever taken an interest in. Of course, he also hadn't thought anyone he was related to would have been interested in taking those tests. Silently he slipped down the corridor, peering in the room looking specifically for Lucky's thick dark hair in the crowd.

She didn't look tired at all. In fact, she looked quite intent; fiercely so… probably treating her exams as she would a deadly opponent in battle. Nodding to himself in acceptance that she was probably doing quite well, Severus was about to leave when he noticed something that made him blink in surprise. What on earth was Dirk Atchison doing sitting at one of the desks? The boy stared blankly at the test, looking very much like a fish out of water as he struggled to make logical guesses to the ones he actually understood. Severus let out an annoyed sigh. He had simply meant to show the boy that Nancy Parker was safe, he really hadn't needed to go _that_ far. That was certainly going to complicate things, he mused, for himself as well as for Dirk. And at a time like this… no, he chided himself. Regardless of what was going on, his priority was here at the school. After making up his mind to look in on how the rest of the staff was doing, Severus walked away, missing the fact that his sister had noticed him and was grimacing slightly as if waiting for a blow that for some reason hadn't come quite yet.


	27. Uncivilly Civil

Twenty-Seven

Uncivilly Civil

The students were too exhausted that evening to worry about a recurrence, and some even retired early, including Dirk who had a longer day than he had intended. Many of the Slytherin had already gone to breakfast by the time he got to the common room, but as he walked through he noticed that Bindy was waiting for him at the door with an unusually serious look on her face.

"Is it all right if I walk with you?" she asked, and he simply nodded. "I rather wanted to ask you about something."

"Let's take the passages, it's more discreet," he decided, turning in the opposite direction. "So what did you want?"

"Well, for one thing, I would rather like to know why you skipped classes yesterday," Bindy said.

"I didn't skip. I had an excused absence," Dirk said stiffly.

"Then why were you dusting paintings in the hall last night?" Bindy asked.

"They were dusty," Dirk shrugged. "And if you think I am in trouble for some reason, check the points and detention lists, you won't find any deductions under my name."

"It's not completely unusual for certain members of the faculty to cover for a Slytherin Prefect, is it? Like Madame Brittle?" Bindy guessed.

"She had nothing to do with it," Dirk snapped, and realized that he had said too much already. "It was a personal matter, Bindy."

"Personal? So you are seeing someone else, aren't you?" Bindy asked. Dirk didn't seem very interested in answering. "At first I thought it was Helena, considering she seems indifferent to Don, but then she seems indifferent to you as well. I don't think she's going out with Don because she wants to. I think she's just trying to keep him busy. Am I right?"

"Must you be so damned nosy, Boadicea? I mean, seriously, can't you ever just leave me alone?" Dirk snapped.

"There is someone else," Bindy said unyieldingly. "I've known it all along, you know. I just want to hear you admit it."

"If I admit it, will you please stop writing your parents and leave me the hell alone?" Dirk asked. "I don't care what your parents want. I don't care what my parents want. And I also don't care what you want! I will decide for myself who I want to be with, no matter what anyone else thinks about it. Can't you go find someone who actually cares about you? Honestly, aren't you worth more than that? I know I am worth more than having to deal with you and your parents' meddling. For God's sake, Bindy, go find someone who wants to be with you because you won't get any love from me! Now be a good mate and don't go any further with this, or I swear I will never forgive you."

Bindy stood there in the hall a minute, torn between collapsing and following him until she thought of how he had worded that.

"Does that mean you still want to be friends?" she called out when he began to walk away.

"I've always been your friend," Dirk said with a sigh. Bindy frowned at that, thinking about it for a moment.

He had tolerated a lot from her over the years, but she had always thought it was because she complained to her parents if he didn't. Did that mean there had been more than that? Suddenly Bindy realized that she didn't know him as well as she thought, or perhaps she didn't know him at all. He didn't hate her for what she had been doing to him… he had been angry, yes, but he didn't hate her, and never had. Perhaps that is why he had put up with it and why she kept doing it, because there had been something else.

Now that she thought of it, she wondered why it made her feel worse about the whole situation. She sighed. It would have been a lot easier had he just given up and learned to love her as she had hoped. But it wasn't the middle ages anymore, was it? The fact that their parents tried to arrange a relationship had never been fair to either of them, no matter how much she had liked the idea personally. With her parents encouraging it, she never had to work on a finding a relationship on her own, and she never had to worry about being alone…

Realizing the silence between them had gone for some time, Bindy forced herself to snap out of it.

"Okay, fine, sure," Bindy said just as they came to the end of the secret passage. "I'm not going to write my parents about it anymore. I mean, I would like to at least salvage our friendship, just… don't call me by my proper name again."

"Sorry about that, Bindy," Dirk quickly apologized, wearing a smile that she hadn't seen since he was a first year student.

"Good," Bindy decided, following him into the Great Hall. "I don't suppose any of the other seventh year boys might wanna go out with me?" she asked on a whim.

"I might be persuaded to ask around," Dirk said coyly, Bindy smiling shyly in response.

"Oh, stop playing it off, Atchison!" The two of them looked over to see Don sitting at the table while several of his classmates looked up at Dirk with disapproving frowns of their own. "We know you don't really like her so enough with the act."

"It is not your place to decide what I do, whom I decide to talk with, or even whether or not I try to 'play anything off.'" Dirk said, immediately taking a firm stance. "I see you're in rare form today. No Helena?"

"She went with the others to the library to dodge my questions. I'm surprised you aren't hiding there as well considering what you've been doing," Don said.

"I don't hide and I have no idea what you're talking about," Dirk said, gesturing for Bindy to go ahead and sit down.

"I am speaking about the fact that you, a Slytherin prefect, took that stupid Muggle college exam yesterday," Don said. "I thought you were going to work for your father in a respectable business?"

"Of course I am. I simply thought I would prove to Lucky that she was making a big fuss over nothing when it came to those simple Muggle tests. And it was just as easy as I thought it'd be," Dirk said calmly. "Besides, it gave me an automatic pass out of Bellamy's fitness test yesterday."

"Is that the real reason?" Don challenged him. "Someone told me they saw you in the hall talking to one of those filthy Havener girls. Your old pen pal, maybe?" Bindy looked up in surprise, staring fixedly at Don. So that was it.

"Don't be stupid, Don, it was simply that girl from the alchemist shop saying hello because she recognized me. And to be perfectly honest, I am tired of you making up these stupid rumors in order to frame me. Back off, Coventry," Dirk warned.

"Do you hear how defensive he's getting?" Don said with a sneer. "What do you think, Bindy? Maybe you'd better tell your parents that Dirk is making eyes at a Muggle."

"Don't be stupid, Donald. Dirk wouldn't ever do anything like that," Bindy said, hoping she didn't look flustered. "His father wouldn't ever allow it. He'd be furious." Dirk gazed at Bindy fixedly.

"All the more reason to rat on him," Don said with glee.

"No matter what the accusation, Slytherin don't bleat on other Slytherin," Bindy said icily. "If we did, you'd probably be expelled by now."

"You think so?" Don said unconcernedly. "I think my father would have something to say about it."

"Are you going to be relying on your father to back up your decisions when you leave school as well? Or are you forever going to remain in his shadow?" Dirk asked. "Never mind, I suppose he'll probably learn that lesson the hard way. I think I had better go to the library and see what the others have gathered about."

"There he goes, running with the others," Don said, shaking his head as he got up.

"I rather think he answered all your questions very well," Bindy decided.

"You should write your father, you know. I bet he is seeing that Muggle girl," Don said, finally turning back to his food. Bindy began picking out a jam and didn't answer him. The last thing she wanted was Don to get into the middle of it now.

* * *

When Dirk came into the back of the library, several of them looked up in anticipation but then relaxed again.

"You're not Gamban," Hope said irritably.

"Not unless I gained weight and lost a number of inches," Dirk said, glancing at where she sat next to Ronnie, Helena, and Maurice. "Why are you waiting for Gamban?"

"He's gone up to check the Owl Post to see if he has any letters from his father or grandfather waiting," Maurice explained. "Did you read the _Prophet_ this morning?"

"No, I haven't gotten that far," Dirk admitted, raiding the breakfast tray.

"Bagman is suing the prison for security breach and failure to protect considering he got bitten by a vampire in his own cell," Helena explained.

"Well, I can't say he doesn't have a point on that. I'd probably be pretty angry about that myself if it were me," Dirk decided.

"He is also suing the Minister of Mysteries for causing the vampires to be attacking citizens in the first place," Maurice added.

"Oh? I'll have to think about that one," Dirk said, pouring himself some coffee. "I'm not sure you can really blame the Ministry for the vampires deciding to invade it, regardless of what they said their reason was."

"I don't think he expects to win, really," Maurice admitted. "I think he's just as curious about who the current Minister of Mysteries is as everyone else is right now and is probably using the civil suit to try and expose them."

"Surely the Minister wouldn't be defending himself if it came up in front of the Magistrates," Helena protested. "More than likely he'll have his counselor and maybe an undersecretary stand in. In fact, I'm quite certain of it. Neither the Minister of Magic nor my father is likely to let an undersecretary come out of that sort of fire… especially when it'd mean they'd have to replace him if it ever came out."

"The Ministry is already taking heat from some of the counselors to replace the Mysteries Minister from what I've been hearing," Maurice sighed. "Honestly, they would be better off concentrating on getting the Donnacht out of the country rather than all this bickering, they'll have all the time they like when the conflict is over."

"But when will it end," Connie sighed glumly. "I don't know about you, but I really don't want another night like we had the night before last, and the fact that people are still missing is quite frightening."

"It's also rather historic," Jessica said, thumbing through the book in front of her. "From what I can tell, the only other vampire war of this type of scale was the Clan Wars during the middle ages, and then they were fighting mainly with each other, although a lot of regular people got killed in territorial disputes."

"So how did that end?" Pimra asked her curiously.

"Two of the older clans got annihilated after their leaders were destroyed. Once the powerhouses of the time were gone, things settled out on their own," Jessica said.

"That's probably what the Ministry ought to be doing. Instead of putting up with all these raids and skirmishes, they should send some of their best folks in there to take out their leaders," Gary said.

"So what you're saying is that the only way out of this mess is to do exactly what they want us to do."

Ambrose had been so quiet at the other end of the table that most of the other students had forgotten he was even sitting there listening., so it came as a bit of a surprise to him when he did speak. Maurice nodded somberly at him.

"What who want us to do?" Helena asked.

"The Four Horsemen, who else?" Ambrose said, leaning his head against his fist. "I'm quite sure this is what they were intending all along. They wanted us to get rid of the Donnacht leaders for them… specifically Rafe. And the way things have deteriorated, I don't think we have any choice than to try to just that."

"So the Four Horsemen want them gone as well? That explains this other article then," Gary decided, pulling the paper open when Ambrose looked at him questioningly. "'Terrorists or Vigilantes? Four Horsemen Help Save Hogsmeade from Vampire Attack,'" Gary read, closing the paper again. "It says they were seen in a few parts of town killing groups of vampires as easily as someone swatting flies, although it did piss off the Minister of Magic. He says that no matter what the press chooses to call them, they're dangerous criminals and should be dealt with accordingly and prosecuted. I suppose that means your father's department is handling bringing them in instead of the Aurors?"

"Yes, the Enforcers are handling it. The Aurors have their hands full helping the RBF with the vampire attacks. However, since one of the Horseman is suspected as being a vampire, I suppose they'll still be working closely together on it," Maurice said.

"Someone from another clan, then?" Hope asked.

"I doubt it," Maurice admitted.

"But that doesn't make sense. Uncle Pyther told us that the reason Sunset Dawn had let him live is that it's forbidden for vampires to kill one another in their own clan. Even Rafe never dared to touch him," Hope said.

"It might be forbidden, but I don't think they are magically restrained from doing it such as some of their other curses," Maurice said. "Rather, it's probably just a clan law put in place to keep another clan war from breaking out. If that's the case, Rafe more than anyone else would have to be careful to follow that code."

"Perhaps the vampire Horseman isn't breaking it," Ambrose murmured. "Lucky told me about how they found out there were only three of them present that night they cast the plague spell. Maybe they're doing the same thing any time they attack vampires."

"Possibly, but I think Rafe would be furious if he thought for a moment that any of his clan was working against him, even if they weren't acting directly," Maurice said, then glanced up when he heard the door.

"Anything?" he asked Garvan.

"No, but I sent some letters of my own, that's what took so long," Garvan explained, quickly grabbing a scone off the table.

"Yes, it is getting late. We'd better be heading to class, in fact," Maurice said, getting up.

"We all should probably be going, really," Ambrose sighed, reluctantly getting up. "Where do you suppose Lucky is?"

"I know where Lucky is. She's still in bed," Connie said. "She took one look at her schedule, realized she didn't have any tests, and decided she was going to take the day off."

"Take the day off?" Gary repeated. "Oh man, that means we'll probably have a pop quiz in the two classes we have together. I guess I better do my reading assignment."

"Gryffindors," Garvan snorted softly to himself as he and Maurice cut back towards the main hallway. "I bet her parents have a fit."

"I don't think they were too surprised. Lucky has been burning herself out cramming for those entrance exams, and she's not used to that level of studying," Maurice explained. "They've always doted on her, so I think she'll probably get away with it."

"Sounds like favoritism to me," Garvan complained, but then stopped short when they rounded the corner. "Why, that's my grandfather's counselor! What do you suppose he's doing here?"

Maurice looked around curiously. The wizard stood in front of the Doorlift with furrowed brows, beating the switches in annoyance.

"It won't open," Maurice called out, making Arnold Jeffers look up in surprise. "Not at this time of the morning, and not unless you're expected. Are you expected?"

"Good morning, and not entirely, no. What do you mean it doesn't work this early, Maurice?" Arnold asked.

"Security," Maurice said evenly.

"We can walk you as far as the second floor," Garvan suggested quickly. "We were going in that direction anyhow."

"If you like, but I do know my way around the castle," Arnold said, turning towards the main staircase.

"You were in Slytherin as well, if I recall," Maurice commented, getting a nod in return.

"Was the Headmaster one of your teachers?" Garvan asked. "What was he like?"

"Um… well, Professor Snape was highly respected amongst his peers," Arnold said as they walked up the stairs.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Garvan asked blankly.

"It means that I know better than to share my opinion of him when his brother-in-law is standing right beside us," Jeffers explained with a dry chuckle.

"So you hated him, then?" Maurice asked so bluntly that Jeffers turned and gazed at him a moment before continuing.

"I don't want you to think that I hate him. My business with him today is purely professional and has nothing to do with my personal opinion of him," Jeffers explained.

"Is my grandfather suing him too?" Garvan asked anxiously.

"No… no, no, this has to do with another client entirely, I do have more than one client, you know," Jeffers said, pausing on the landing. "For the record, I have nothing against Professor Snape personally. In fact, there have been several times where I was in a mess or needed advice and turned to him for guidance, both as a student and as an adult, but that doesn't mean that I don't have a job to do. I'm sure the Headmaster understands that… at least, I hope he will," he added under his breath as he continued up to the next floor while the boys turned into the corridor.

"What sort of mess do you suppose your brother has gotten into this time?" Garvan asked Maurice. Maurice shrugged unknowingly.

Jeffers arrived at the Headmaster's Study out of breath. The doors were open but Severus was not inside; instead, the Headmaster's Stymphalian eyed Jeffers suspiciously from a sturdy metal perch beside the desk. Part of him wanted to stay as far away from the war bird as possible, but the part that needed a rest after that climb won out and he found his way into one of the chairs. Jeffers waited for quite some time before he became bored and his eyes began to wander the room, and he began to wonder just where the Headmaster might have hidden it.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting," Severus said, striding up so quickly and silently that Jeffers jumped in his seat. "I had business downstairs. In fact, I'm usually quite busy first thing in the morning, which is why I typically don't schedule appointments this early," he explained, glaring at the open book on his desk. "I assume then this must be important."

"Yes, sir. I have a scroll of legal notice, I'm afraid," Jeffers said somberly. "One of my clients has filed a suit against you."

"Oh, really," Severus said unconcernedly, sitting down and holding out his hand. "And whom might it be this time? I doubt that Bagman could have possibly found a way to implicate me in that issue at the prison."

"No, Professor, of course not, he has his hands full at the moment…"

"Obviously."

"My client in this particular case, sir, is Mr. Sirius Black," he explained apologetically. Severus blinked in surprise and then stared at him.

"You can't be serious."

"Quite, serious, Professor. He is suing you for Potioning him Against his Will with an Experimental Potion…"

"Hardly experimental…"

"Sir, in the eyes of the law, any potion whose formula hasn't been registered with the Ministry is considered experimental," Jeffers pointed out. Severus squinted at him.

"Fine, it's experimental," he snapped, snatching the scroll out of the counselor's hand. "This is just some stunt of his to get even with me saving his life, the ungrateful fool!" Severus growled. "I suppose he wants some exorbitant amount for this."

"No, he says you spend money as fast as you get it," Jeffers explained calmly. Severus glowered at him. "Instead, he is suing you for possession of the Philosopher's Stone so that he can make certain that nothing like this ever happens again."

"WHAT! IS HE COMPLETELY OUT OF HIS MIND AGAIN? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING REPRESENTING HIM FOR THAT?" Severus shouted, getting to his feet and towering over Jeffers.

"Actually, I am thinking that he has a rather good shot at winning," Jeffers said, looking a bit red in the face despite the fact his voice remained firm. Growling ferociously, Severus stormed towards the door. "I wouldn't go bothering your sister with this! She's not allowed to talk about it!" Jeffers shouted after him, but it was too late; Severus had already disappeared from his view. Jeffers let out a sigh, glancing at the document on the desk. Well, he had delivered notice, he mused, and decided it was probably in his best interests to get out while he was still in one piece.

Down below, doors were opened then slammed, and the walls seemed to shudder and sconces flickered at the Headmaster's passing. Several of the faculty quickly scurried out of his path, suddenly remembering what it was like to have Snape in the classroom when they were children.

Finally he had made it to the Muggle Studies room to find the door open. All the students felt their hair prickle on the backs of their necks, and Dirk shrunk back in his chair, praying that he wasn't there for him. Just then, Madame Black caught sight of him seething in the hall, her eyes looking even icier than usual.

"Hello, Severus. If you're here about Lucky, she had a note from Sagittari…"

"You know perfectly well that isn't what I'm here about! I want to see you in the hall. Now!" he snapped ferociously.

Anna rolled her eyes in such a way that Dirk couldn't help but marvel had it. He had never seen the Headmaster that angry before. Was she hoping their family ties would spare her from his obvious wrath? As she walked proudly out, all the students leaned against their desks to watch until the door was slammed shut.

"All right, what are you bellowing about?" Anna said.

"Don't give me that, you know perfectly well what is going on! That no-account dog you call a husband has gone to the seediest counselor that he could tolerate and is trying to sue me! How typical of him to pull something like this when I have more than enough problems of my own right now. Would you kindly ask him to grow up and act his age and leave me out of his personal struggles?" Severus demanded.

"Exactly what is it you are trying to say, Severus?"

"Your husband is simply trying to punish me for saving his life!" Severus snapped.

"That's Sirius for you," Anna agreed, but it was obvious that Severus was far from amused. In fact, he looked quite murderous. "I'm sorry, brother, but I'm not allowed to talk the case over with you, it's a conflict of interest. His counselor advised us that it'd be better if I stayed out of it, especially considering our relationship and the fact that I work here. So unless there's something else…"

"Fine, what about the fact that Sirius is behaving even more irrationally than usual? Doesn't that concern you?" Severus snapped.

"Yes, almost as much as I'm concerned about your reaction to it," Anna retorted.

For a moment there was a silent standoff as the two of them simply glared stubbornly at the other. Finally, Severus growled and stormed towards the Potion Lab to seek friendlier support. Sighing and shaking her head, Anna turned and walked back into the classroom, pretending as if nothing had happened.

Conner Donovan had been playing a game of Dragon Darts from his desk that morning when his receptionist knocked on the door and peered in.

"Did he finally make it after all?" Conner asked in surprise.

"No, sir, not yet, but there is someone unexpected in the waiting room…" she began.

"Oh? What have we got today? Psychosis? Neurosis? Or just a regular madman?" Conner joked.

"He definitely seems mad," she decided. "It is Professor Snape of Hogwarts."

Conner took his feet off his desk in surprise.

"Show him in at once, obviously. What on earth is he doing here?" he asked. But since his receptionist didn't know the answer, she simply opened the door and got out of the way so he could storm in.

"Mr. Conner… is this an examination room or the back of a public house?" Severus said, staring at the pool table, dart board, and the cards scattered on the Wizard Chess table.

"What were you expecting, a couch?" Conner asked. "To what do I owe the honor? I trust you're not here for an exam."

"Sirius is one of your patients, is he not?" Severus asked impatiently.

"Well, that depends on who you ask," Conner admitted with a wry grin. "He tolerates my presence in the room only because Zack and I have become good friends, and because he thinks I'm dating Zoë. I'm not, of course, she has enough problems," he chuckled. "Apparently members of your family are not too keen on my profession…"

"Don't you dare talk about Black as if he were a member of my family! He has been nothing but a loose wand since the incident and something must be done about it…"

"Incident? Are you referring to when you gave him the Elixir after he had asked you not to?" Conner inquired.

"Now, don't you start! Anna asked me to give him that potion, thank you, and the doctor as well. It isn't my fault he is behaving like a bratty child about it, and what is more, he has now decided to sue me using the seediest solicitor he could afford. He has once more gone completely out of his mind…"

"Is that so?" Conner interrupted, looking quite calm. "I wouldn't say that. If anything, I think it's proof that he is more sane now than he used to be."

"What?" Severus snapped.

"He was faced with a situation where he felt like a victim and instead of closing himself off and brooding like he normally does or flying off the handle like you normally do, he instead chose to _do_ something constructive about the way he is feeling. Regardless of the reasons behind it, suing you over what he felt was a personal injustice is probably one of the sanest things he's done. As his brother-in-law, you should be pleased of his progress. If he wins this, he might be over the worst of his anxieties for good because he'll finally realize that he can fight back when he loses control over his life," Conner explained.

"If he wins?" Severus said with a stunned expression on his face. "Have you any idea what it would mean if he won?"

"Yes, but I rather don't think you do…"

"What does he plan to do with the Stone?"

"What about your brother-in-law? Shouldn't you be more concerned with what happens to him?" Conner snapped back.

"This isn't going anywhere. You're as mad as your patients are," Severus growled.

"Thank you very much," Conner said. But as Severus stormed back towards the door, Conner felt his conscience tugging at him.

"Severus, one last thing… about those Four Horsemen," he added quickly when Severus threatened to leave anyway. "I'm not sure it's the Stone they're really after." Severus turned back around with a frown.

"How could you possibly know anything about that?" Severus demanded, but Conner grimaced.

"Patient confidentiality. Let's just say I have reason to believe that even though their individual goals differ, their main objective as a collective is to kill you. Their intention that night in the fields was to try to lure you out and get you out of their way. Regardless of what happens with the Stone, you and your family are in danger right now," Conner said seriously.

"My family is always in danger," Severus snapped, and then continued out the door.

Conner watched him go silently, thinking over his own words, wondering if he had said enough. Nodding to himself, Conner went out to scheme with the receptionist about how to get even with the patient who had missed his appointment.

That evening, Severus arrived back to his study to find a beautifully penned and artfully worded letter from Lunette Vallid, explaining how she had some important cases and couldn't possibly get away. Growling, Severus stomped off to his sitting room and grabbed his violin, playing it furiously. Quintin began squealing in apparent delight.

"Oh, honestly, Severus! I just put him down," Jennifer said with exasperation, but then noticed how he was behaving. "Is it really as bad as all of that?"

"The entire world is against me keeping that Stone. Even Lunette won't have anything to do with it! She claims that she is 'busy.' She has never been too busy before," Severus said irritably.

"True, but it isn't really a life and death matter, is it?" Jennifer said, getting a dirty look in response and another screech on the violin. "And it's hardly fair to ask it of her, Severus. She has always tried to be here whenever we've needed her and yet has never really asked for anything in return. Perhaps we take her for granted a bit too much," she admitted. Severus gazed at her thoughtfully. "Besides, knowing Lunette she probably doesn't want to step in the middle of any conflicts between you and Sirius. I think it's safe to say you're going to have to look for counsel that's a bit more impartial this time."

"Perhaps you have a point," Severus admitted. "Tomorrow I'll use my lunch hour to head to London and find someone, although I really don't need this right now."

"Civil cases don't usually happen right away, Severus," Jennifer reminded him. "And considering how close it is to the holiday, I would be surprised if the matter was addressed before the end of term."

"My personal schedule isn't what I'm worried about most at the moment," Severus said. Jennifer began studying his gaze. She then glanced over at Quintin with a frown, despite the fact that he had settled down and was nearly asleep again. "Perhaps I'll pay Potter and your father a visit while I'm in town. I would be very curious to hear their thoughts on who the other three members of the Horsemen might be."


	28. Deceptions

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Deceptions

It was bitterly cold; definitely much colder than she was used to for that time of year. Even inside the tavern it seemed chilly, for it was square and open and no corner was unprotected from the draft that came in every time someone went in or out. That also made it impossible to come or leave unnoticed. Perhaps it was a way for the owner to make certain that no one snuck out and left a tab, the woman at the bar mused to herself. Still, it didn't lend to any sort of privacy. It also didn't help that it was the only tavern in the village.

"Don't you have any hot drinks?" Lisa asked with a shiver.

"Still not used to the weather?" the bartender tsked, mixing something beside her. "It hasn't even gotten cold yet."

"I would hate to think of what your idea of cold is, then," Lisa complained. "What is that foul smell?"

"Your drink, _Froken_," the man said. But as she sipped it, Lisa felt a curious tingle going through her. It took her a moment to realize that the sensation had nothing to do with the drink. "Still not good enough?"

"Perhaps it is not the burning of her tongue that she yearns for, but the sort of vintage that burns from deep within," suggested a crisp yet gentile voice from behind her. She really didn't have to turn around to see whose it was, for she had recognized it immediately. "Perhaps a bottle of Thorn of the Valley would do the trick."

"And what might that be?" Lisa asked, glancing over at Foncé as he approached the bar.

"A dark rose wine, but one that contains hidden dangers," Foncé replied easily. "The thorns on that particular variety of vine are as sharp as dragon teeth, making it next to impossible to harvest them without being cut. Despite this defense or perhaps even because of it, the blossoms are so delicate that they must be harvested by hand. A sacrifice of blood is such a petty thing to those who crave perfection. I myself will ignore a shield of thorns if it protects something worth my attention. You…" he began, taking a seat close to her. "Seem to be a bit lost. Your accent is quite forced, and you do not seem at home in this country."

"I'm from Ireland, actually," Lisa said. "Lisa Wolfe, I am a new teacher at Durmstrang."

"Are you really? You do not seem to be the type of woman to be interested in teaching," Foncé said, gazing at her searchingly.

"It's rather funny you should say that, considering I've never wanted to be anything but a teacher my entire life," Lisa said. "It is strange how life seems to move you in certain directions, isn't it?"

"I do not know much about life, but if you speak of destiny, I know it well," Foncé said. "Do you know yours?"

"I know what I want out of life, but I don't profess to know the future," Lisa said, coddling the new drink in her hand.

"Perhaps that is something I can teach you," Foncé said. "Aren't you going to try the wine? I designed it myself, you know."

"You are a winemaker?" Lisa asked. "I thought you were just the local vampire."

"One may be a vegetarian and still become a teacher," he pointed out. "I take my winemaking as seriously as I take my meals. It is about nurturing life with the utmost care, letting it grow and blossom to its full potential… and then crushing it so that you can capture that essence and transform into something timeless. Vampires and wines are rather a lot alike; we also grow stronger and more potent with age, more distinguishable and refined. But perhaps it is best if you experience that for yourself?"

"What do you mean?" Lisa asked.

"The wine, of course," Foncé said smoothly. "You have yet to taste it."

"Oh, that! Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," Lisa said with a soft chuckle, reaching for the glass.

"Good evening, _Fru Archibald_," the bartender called out.

Lisa found a hand over the glass she was just about to pick up as Foncé quickly slid it in front of him.

"Good evening, Adil. It's a bit cold in here, tonight, isn't it? Maybe it's just the atmosphere," Rolanda said cheerfully. The fireplace suddenly flared up as she passed it, causing several of the patrons sitting near it to scoot their chairs back from it. "Oh, so that is why! Good evening, Marquis. How goes the war?"

"I wouldn't know, I've been residing here," Foncé said curtly.

"Have you really?" Rolanda said in such a way it was obvious that she didn't believe it. "Sorry, Lisa, didn't see you there. Let me just get my drink and I'll be out of your hair… oh, but you don't have one either, do you, Lisa? Foncé, have you no honor, sitting next to a girl like that and not getting her a drink. Adil, get Lisa and me a brew," she said, sitting down on the other side of her. "So Wingard, what are you doing in this neck of the woods?" she asked, then chortled to herself. Lisa covered her face in apparent embarrassment.

"Where else would I come to check how receptive the local patrons are to my wines?" Foncé parried.

"Well, I suppose that's allowed, just so long as it's not the patrons themselves you are interested in," Rolanda decided, taking a drink. "Most of the locals here are rather skittish, you see. They're suspicious of strangers and anything strange in general, but it seems your wines have gotten a following nonetheless. Maybe it's being drank by people who just don't know any better."

"Many are young enough to see the benefit of opening oneself up to new experiences, where some of the older citizens of this village and your school seem to be closed minded to everything but their 'earned wisdom,' willing to spout their outdated advice to their dying days," Foncé said coolly.

"That might be true of some," Rolanda acknowledged with a thin smile. "Just because some of us are getting on in age doesn't mean we're stagnant, you know. But then, you wouldn't know, would you? You don't understand what it's like to grow older, so you can't really understand its benefits. That's quite all right, Marquis, everyone has their disadvantages. You just have more than your fair share, is all. My goodness, is that the time? Is it that late already?" Immediately Foncé whipped his head around to stare at the clock, but it was nowhere near dawn. He turned back around, squinting when he saw the triumphant look on the woman's face. "We'd better get back to the school, Lisa. Classes tomorrow, after all." Looking embarrassed and apologetic, Lisa got up and reluctantly followed the other woman out into the door.

The two of them walked in silence for some time, both a bit concerned that they might have been followed. But after they had reached the swamp, the fear finally faded.

"You picked a fine time to step in," Laura said quietly. "I could very well have had him where I wanted him tonight!"

"Funny, I have a feeling he was thinking the same thing, and there was a very high possibility that he would have been right," Rolanda decided. "Besides, I promised your father…"

"That again! Rolanda, I'm an adult now!" Laura protested. "I'm even an Auror…well, almost, at any rate. How am I possibly going to find out anything if you keep interfering?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that it'd be a lot more suspicious if there wasn't _anything_ to get in the way? You can be too eager, you know, and if he suspects there is something odd going on he will be on his guard," Rolanda said. Laura grew more thoughtful. "Never give a man what he wants on the first date… especially if he's a vampire."

"Fine, maybe you have a point, but it would be nice if I could report in with something better than 'nothing to report yet.' They're counting on me, you know."

"Report that you've established contact and you will move cautiously forward," Rolanda advised. "Don't worry so much about how long it takes. If you try to push too hard, you'll just make mistakes. This sort of thing takes time, and Harry knows that more than anyone."

"I suppose you're right," Laura said with a sigh.

"Good, then let's head to my office for a real drink," Rolanda said with a wink.

"You never change," Laura teased.

"Certainly I do. I just know which things to change and which things to keep is all," Rolanda explained with amusement as the two of them walked back to the castle.

* * *

To say that Bagman had changed over the last few months would have been an understatement. Every time Arnold Jeffers visited his client, he couldn't help but be impressed by it. The man who had gotten to the point that he couldn't touch the floor was now doing pushups with ease as he had not done in decades, self-motivated, perhaps, by the progress that Jeffers had on his rights to exercise for health reasons. No longer did he look like a heart attack waiting to happen, and although he had a long way to go yet, the changes were still quite dramatic. It was as if he had somehow found a new leash on life; but how that could be possible when facing such a sentence as his, Jeffers couldn't fathom. At least, the man seemed pleased with Jeffers, and Bagman's son was paying handsomely to retain him.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Bagman. You're looking well," Jeffers said politely, taking a seat across from him in the waiting room.

"Thanks in part to your efforts," Ludo acknowledged. "What of our current position?"

"The prison has formally admitted that they are at least partially responsible for the intrusion on your cell, Mr. Bagman. They believe the vampire who snuck into your cell must have entered in a gaseous form, and the security wards must have assumed it was simply another ghost and ignored it. They are making adjustments so that it doesn't happen again and are eager to reach some sort of settlement," Jeffers said.

"Of course they are. They want to keep the current Warden out of the court room," Bagman grunted. "I suppose the Ministry are doing the same to keep Mysteries from being exposed?"

"I'm afraid they don't need to," Jeffers said. "They have filed it as a war complaint, so it will not be addressed until after the altercations are over…and then by a committee," he added under his breath.

"Damned bureaucracy!" Bagmen growled, Jeffers nodding sympathetically. "Well, what about the Black case?"

"There I can report better news," Jeffers said with a smile. "I am hearing from my colleagues that Professor Snape is having quite some trouble finding a counselor willing to represent him in that case."

"No Vallid?" Bagman asked with a gleam in his eye.

"It wouldn't appear so. He has gone to three other offices, but the counselors either weren't willing to take a chance on this case or they simply didn't want to get between a Snape and Black battle," Jeffers explained.

"The latter was probably why Vallid bowed out. And have you already suggested what he might do with it once he's acquired it?" Bagman asked.

"Yes, he seemed quite interested in the idea of handing it over to the society to safeguard, although he did say he wanted to think it over. He had been much more focused on 'making Snape realize that thing is not a toy,' as he put it," Jeffers said.

"Bravo! Good man! At least someone in that family has some sense," Bagman said approvingly. "I will leave it in your capable hands then, Mr. Jeffers," he declared, picking a letter out of his stack of post.

* * *

When Severus walked into the civil office, several looked up in surprise, and some of them even scattered after seeing the dark glint in his eyes as memories of their school days flooded back to them.

"Professor Snape! Whatever are you doing here?" one of them asked.

"I would like a counselor and without any backpedaling or excuses, if you don't mind, Mr. Prowse." he said irritably.

"Very well, let me check my schedule," the wizard said as calmly as he could, carefully thumbing to find a busy page.

"At your service, Professor," a voice called out from the other side of the room. Everyone else in the office turned in surprise, while Severus squinted slightly until he realized who it was. "I'll gladly do whatever I can to help."

"Mr. Weasley, you are but a paralegal, I highly doubt…"

"I have a practicing license now, and yes, that may be for probate, but that isn't the point," Tim Weasley said. "It isn't about how risky the case is, it is about who is asking. As many times as he's saved our necks, I would have expected a better response out of all you stuffed robes."

"I agree," Robert March chimed in from where he stood with a stack of scrolls in his arms. "I'll help you prep, Tim, just tell me what you need…"

"One moment! I'll speak to you both in private about this later," Prowse said. But despite the fact that it was meant as a dismissal, neither of them moved. "Professor Snape, despite the enthusiasm of my assistants, I will be honest with you. Your case has very little chance of doing well in court because of how many credible witnesses there are. Even your sister and you have both admitted to your parts in this. If you allow Weasley to take this any further, I guarantee you that 'slim' chance will be reduced to no chance in hell. Now, if you want my legal opinion, I would suggest you try and settle this matter out of court… with a mediator if needed, although privately would be better. Once that Mr. Black has had some chance to cool off, you may be able to solve this with a simple apology…"

"I am _not_ apologizing for saving his life… no matter how much I now regret doing it!" Severus snapped ferociously. "Weasley, since you don't seem to have an office of your own, I suggest we go somewhere else to discuss the matter… you as well, Mr. March."

"But he's just a clerk!" Prowse protested. But Robert knew better than to stick around under the circumstances and quickly found an "in" basket for the scrolls and hurried to catch up.

* * *

It was snowing heavily now. The fascination of snowballs, snowmen and wizard sledding had worn off after a week, and their thoughts had turned towards the approaching holiday and the tedious reviews and tests that were bound to come before it. But Lucky wasn't in the mood to study anymore, spending most her free time in the Owl Room writing letters to Dale. Leu and Noah, however, were quite diligent with their books, often sitting in the Owl room companionably to study next to her.

"So what are you writing him about?" Leu asked after she had been quiet for a while.

"I'm finding out if he's coming over for Yule," Lucky said.

"Then we're not going over to Maurice's house again?" Leu asked.

"No, we just went there last year because they weren't back from the Otherworld yet. Usually it's at our house," Lucky explained. "Jackie tends to go a bit overboard, so it's usually safer to keep out of sight so you don't get sucked into a whole bunch of extra chores."

"I don't mind extra chores, you know that," Leu said solemnly. Lucky gave him a dirty look. "You don't suppose that Uncle Sirius will come, do you?"

"Huh? Yeah, that would go over like Greek Fire in a dynamite factory. I have a feeling they'll skip it," she said, but then looked thoughtful. "But I doubt they'd skip Christmas Eve at the Willowby's house. If we see fireworks over the holiday, it'll probably be then."

"Fireworks? Am I going to have fireworks for my birthday?" Natalie asked loudly from the doorway. Quite a number of students were wandering in now as the last of the afternoon classes finished for the evening.

"Are you serious? Don't you get enough as it is?" Hope protested, stomping in behind her. "Honestly, she gets twice as much presents as everyone else and nobody ever forgets _her_ birthday. It's not fair!"

"You get to have friends over and ice cream parties, and you are the only person who gets presents on your birthday," Natalie pointed out. "I have to share my birthday with everyone. It isn't easy being born on a holiday, is it, Ambrose?"

"Well, maybe not, but it does mean we get to have a party every year," Ambrose reasoned as he and Dirk walked in to take their seats. "I suppose you're talking about the holidays, then?"

"You honestly didn't think they'd be talking about their marks," Dirk said critically. "Although I hear lately that some people don't have much positive to talk about."

"Oh, lay off, Dirk, you know none of that is going to matter if I've done well on my exams anyhow. The rest of this year is a lame duck for me," Lucky said.

"I seriously doubt that your parents would agree with you. And either way, I hope that doesn't mean you consider your position with the Owls in the same light," Dirk said sternly.

"No, of course not, you know that still matters to me," Lucky protested with a sigh.

"Good, because Ambrose and I have found a way to fund the rest of the boathouse and docks project," Dirk said, pulling out some envelopes from his bag.

"What is that? A raffle maybe?" Lucky asked when she saw him thumbing through the envelope.

"They're gift certificates to Hogsmeade," Ambrose explained cheerfully. "Nobody here has been able to do any shopping with our trips suspended, which hurts both us and the town's business. So we've agreed to sell gift certificates to all the major shops in town, and in return, we get back a percentage of every galleon spent to pay for the boathouse."

"We can sell them to the students to be given out as gifts, even pair them with the candy bars that Honeydukes made, perhaps tied with ribbon and the like so they look like proper gifts," Dirk explained.

"That's splendid! Who all is in there?" Hope asked excitedly.

"Willowby's, Honeydukes, Dragonwing Deli, Broomsticks, Pannage, Zonko's… practically every business there, really, even the Divine Vision is participating for a change. The gypsies who run the shop may not like Snape, but they realize that their Christmas holiday will be quite dead without these," Dirk explained, passing around one of the envelopes so that the other students could look at them.

"It's a shame your father isn't back yet, Ambrose," Delia sighed, looking them over. "But I suppose any gift certificate for there would be pointless, wouldn't it?"

"No it wouldn't, but I had to make some special ones for his shop," Ambrose said, flipping through them and drawing one out. "See? 'Gift certificate for one item in Toby's Trinkets to be presented at the counter.' The person buying the certificate decides how much they want to spend on that person."

"Aren't you afraid you'll just end up selling a bunch of those for two Knuts a piece or something?" Garvan asked flatly.

"If you were only going to spend two knuts on someone, I'd be ashamed to admit it," Dirk said. "You ought to print how much they spent on those anyway, Ambrose. Maybe it'll keep the gift giver honest."

"It wouldn't hurt for you to trust people to do the right thing, Dirk," Ambrose said back unconcernedly. "We'll leave it as it is, that's how father would want it if he were here."

"But how are they going to spend their certificates if your father isn't back yet?" Leu asked.

"I plan on opening the shop myself, of course," Ambrose said. "It's all right; my father already gave me permission to open it if I had a mind to."

"I don't see how you could possibly open it when the shelves are all bare," Hope said.

"Don't worry, they won't be," Ambrose promised, receiving some skeptical looks.

"Works for me. I think I'll take one of those," Lucky decided, holding up a coin. "We have to start somewhere, right?"

"I've already bought a couple myself," Dirk chuckled, taking her money and putting it into a different envelope. "And if any of the other Owls want to help sell them, Ambrose and I have plenty of envelopes to go around."

"I'll help," Leu quickly volunteered, and Dirk sorted through the envelopes and then handed him one. "I think I'll ask the Headmaster first."

"I seriously doubt he'd be interested in buying one. Most of these are tailored for students," Dirk warned.

"Are there any in there for the boutique?" Lucky asked.

"Yes," Ambrose answered.

"He'll buy one," Lucky smirked. "Especially if it's from Leu… so will Craw, and Andrew, maybe Black…"

"I get it, Lucky. Llewellyn, you're in charge of selling to the faculty," Dirk said.

"All right. I can handle that," Leu decided. "Do you suppose we will bring in enough money to build the new boat house for Noah?"

"Yes, if we do well enough," Dirk said. "And I'd say we have a good chance of it, considering it's the only shopping they can possibly get done until they head home."

"I'm going to go ahead up. He's bound to be there this close to dinner," Leu decided.

"At least he's eager," Dirk decided.

"Yeah, though in some ways I think he'd be better off if he wasn't," Lucky said, turning back to her letter.

"It will nice when we can finish up these tests," Leu admitted as they left the library, "although it'd be nicer if you could come with us, Noah."

"Don't worry about me, Leu. With the boathouse being such a mess, I think I'm going to just stay in the castle and spend the holidays visiting my girlfriend and some of the other ghosts. They always get more lively this time of year, and they'll probably throw a party and all sorts of fun stuff, you just have fun wherever it is you're going."

"All right," Leu said solemnly. "For your sake, I will try not to feel guilty about having to leave you behind."

"Thanks, I appreciate that," Noah responded with an almost identical expression. "So what do you want for Christmas, anyway?"

"What do I want?" Leu repeated blankly. "I really haven't thought about it… I really don't want much of anything."

"You have to want _something._ Your parents will simply pester you if you don't," Noah explained. "They'll have to buy you something, and your mum will likely be dithering if you don't at least declare one thing you want. Parents are like that, you know, especially around Christmas. They get all anxious wondering if you like what they give you, so if they know what you want it's like a safety net, see?"

"I wouldn't want to worry them," Leu decided. "I know, I'll ask Keir, Jimmy and Colby about what they normally get for Christmas, and then I'll pick something that sounds the most reasonable and easy to find."

"Sounds quite logical," Noah decided as they got to the top of the back stairs. "Oh, it looks like the Study is closed up. Who do you suppose that is?"

"Looks like one of the parents," Leu said when he saw the tall dark-haired man standing in front of the dragon with clutched fists. "And he doesn't look happy," he added before walking down the corridor. "Hullo, sir. I take it you're not expected?"

The man turned around and furrowed his eyes at the boy.

"What odd hair you have," the man said flatly.

"Some of the girls like it. They say it makes him look like Taylor Hicks," Noah said.

"Who is that?" the man asked with a frown.

"We have no idea," Leu admitted. "Can we help you?"

"I am looking for the Headmaster, the Deputy Headmaster, the Muggle Studies teacher, and my son, in that order. So if you would happen to know where any of them are, you might be of some use."

"I'm not sure where the Headmaster is, but many of the staff who aren't boarding at the school tend to leave early because of the war and all," Leu explained. "Professor Weasley might still be here, though. She tends to stay until the last minute."

"I can go check for you real quick. It'll only take me a second to pop down to her office," Noah volunteered, sinking into the floor. Leu looked down at where he went for a moment, and then began looking around to keep from staring despite the fact that the wizard seemed to be staring at him.

"You look familiar, I know I've seen you before. You're the goblin boy, aren't you?" the wizard asked.

"I'm Llewellyn Murphy," Leu said solemnly.

"Do you always talk to ghosts, Llewellyn Murphy?" the wizard asked.

"No, sir. Only to that one," Leu replied.

"Mr. Murphy."

Leu quickly turned around to see the Headmaster walking up the corridor in a heavy black cloak still damp from the snow.

"Professor Snape! I would like a few words with you, if you don't mind!" the wizard said angrily.

"That would explain why you're here outside my office," Severus agreed, putting a hand on the stone figure. It slowly seemed to move behind on its own, making Leu wonder if he had missed a silent gesture or command. "And what business do you have being here, Mr. Murphy? Is it personal or school related?"

"Oh, um…" Leu glanced at the envelope thoughtfully. "It's mostly school related, actually."

"Very well, then you may wait in my sitting room while I talk with Mr. Atchison," Severus said, showing them in.

"Mr. Atchison?" Leu repeated, giving the wizard a good hard look. "So you're Dirk's father?"

"Please concern yourself with your own affairs, Mr. Murphy. If it doesn't have anything to do with you or any of your friends then I suggest you learn how to stay out of things," Severus said sternly.

"But…"

"In," Severus ordered, lifting up the curtain. Gazing at him uncertainly, Leu shuffled into the back room. "I suppose you've been hearing rumors about that silly lawsuit business with the Stone."

"This is not about that, although I agree with Abraxus that you would have been better off had you turned that thing over to the Society in the first place," Kris Atchison said. "I am here because I received a very disturbing letter suggesting that my son was seen taking some sort of Muggle test here at Hogwarts."

"Mr. Atchison, your son has planned to go into Business and Magical Industry, which requires taking extra Muggle Studies courses. This is nothing that should surprise you, considering he has been taking classes for years now," Severus said.

"Teaching Dirk how to talk to them is one thing. Encouraging him to go to a Muggle university is quite another!" Kris snapped.

"Mr. Atchison, regardless of the reason behind Dirk wanting to take the test, I can assure you from what I know of him academically that he has no interest whatsoever into going into a Muggle profession, let alone into one of their schools. It is more likely that he was simply curious, or perhaps it was because it was an acceptable way out of taking Commander Bellamy's Defense Fitness test that day," Severus suggested.

"I highly doubt Dirk would go to such lengths to get out of a test!" Kris said.

"Why not? You would have," Severus said expressionlessly. Kris met his gaze, but only for a moment.

"My son's academic standards far exceeded my own, as you are perfectly aware. He is an ambitious and a dedicated individual who has never lost focus of any goal he has set for himself…"

"I quite agree with you," Severus interrupted. "And I do not believe that has changed about him in the slightest. However, I am a bit concerned about a parent who would question something as simple as what exams your son decided to take, especially one in his seventh year and preparing to graduate. To be blunt, he isn't a child anymore and in a few short months he will want to start making his own decisions with his life. If you don't start loosening the reigns, he is quite likely to break his neck trying to charge out of the gates."

"He is my son and I will raise him as I see fit," Kris said.

"Perhaps, but you don't have that much time left to do so. In six months, your control of him will be reduced to an advisory position, and then only if he chooses to listen. That frightens you, doesn't it? Why else attempt to tighten your grip now?" Severus asked.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Kris said, his face reddening with rage.

"I dare because no one else will, and I happen to care about how well my students are going to fare outside of this school when they have graduated. If you don't start giving him space, he will take it, and if you keep behaving this way, you will lose his support one way or the other. I have seen it too often not to know how this one will turn out, Kris. If you want to salvage your relationship with your son, you are going to have to adapt to his beliefs. He no longer has to adapt to yours."

"He does for the next six months!" Kris barked angrily. "He has taken enough classes in Muggle Studies for his career path, has he not? I want him removed from that class for the rest of the year… and I don't want him going on any more school trips to Hogsmeade! I want him focusing on regular studies."

"Hogsmeade trips have already been suspended due to _real_ threats," Severus said expressionlessly.

"Good, I don't want him near it. And I'd like to be informed if he steps out of line again."

"And who is going to inform me when you step out of line, I wonder?" Severus asked. Kris stared at him.

"I am beginning to see why Abraxus does not like you very much. You're getting as balmy as old Dumbledore got in the end!" Kris said.

"Thank you, I consider that a compliment."

"You would!" Kris snapped, and then stormed out of the room and out the Doorlift. Severus walked over and gazed out the empty doorway, lost in thought.

"Are they in any danger?"

Severus glanced around to see Leu peeking out behind the curtain with an expression even more serious than usual.

"I don't think Mr. Atchison would harm his son, short of taking away his financial support, which I do not think Dirk cares about anyway," Severus said, walking back to his desk.

"But what about Nancy? Is she going to be all right?" Leu asked insistently. "If anything bad happened to her, I think I'd just die."

"Into the dramatics already, are we?" Severus said dryly. "Never mind, you shouldn't have been eavesdropping anyway, especially when it really has nothing to do with you. What was the school related business that you wanted to discuss?"

"Oh… um, fundraiser," Leu explained, walking up to the desk. "Would you be interested in buying some gift certificates for any Hogsmeade shops?" Severus stared at him. "I have some for the dress shop in here," Leu added, sifting through the envelope. Rolling his eyes, Severus reluctantly got in his desk for his coin pouch.

* * *

Amadeus woke up to painfully stiffened hands, immediately reminding him that he had fallen asleep on Nelson's couch instead of his own comfortably warm bed. Would she even notice him gone, let alone care? Not that she had been holding much interest to him lately. Strange how after awhile things began to lose their luster; it had become dull and no longer a challenge with absolutely no room to progress. It had grown as stagnant as his life in general had been, he brooded, rubbing his hands until a balm was thrown in his direction. Somehow he managed to catch it, the motion disrupting his thoughts.

"Use that. We can't have you losing any speed because of muscle cramps or blisters, not after all the work we've put in," Nelson said.

"It is all the work we've been doing that got them this way in the first place," Amadeus complained.

"And look how far we've come. All we need now is one clear shot, and the world will be changed forever," Nelson said, sounding strangely cheerful.

"For some reason I don't think it's going to be as easy as hitting the target dummy in the back fields," Amadeus said.

"Well, never mind that for now. I just received word that we secured a new business contract that surely become one of the best investments we've made together," Nelson said.

"Oh. What sort of contract this time?" Amadeus asked, unable to hide his boredom.

"It is a contract with Gringotts Bank and the town of Myrkinbrek, for merchandise from Magic Mirror Inc," Nelson explained. Amadeus couldn't help but stare at him.

"Magic Mirror? But that company was in ruin! I thought we bought that thing up simply so that we could liquidate it."

"That was before I took it upon myself to advertise them as vampire detectors," Nelson said with a triumphant smile. "It would appear that the goblins have been suffering from attacks as well and they've become quite paranoid about wizards in their town. At the same time, they cannot really afford to keep anyone out of Myrkinbrek during their busiest time of year. So the company has offered to install mirrors on all the shop doors to discourage any vampires from trying to gain entrance. They're even installing some in Heckletown, although it is being marketed quite differently there. The radicals believe that some wizard is simply using the war as a cover, so that he might kill goblins as he pleases."

"What? Why would they think that?" Amadeus asked blankly.

"They're radicals, you fool! I already explained that," Nelson said. "Apparently, most of the goblin corpses they've found so far had their throats cut instead of traditional marks, and despite the fact they have been found drained of blood there have been speculation someone else is behind it. The bank, of course, is in a hurry to clear the matter up one way or another. So much in a hurry that they are willing to go through a wizard company to get to the bottom of it. They do not trust the Ministry; they think they are once again getting ignored when it comes to their part in this. But they also no that our company is no fan of the current administration and decided, rightly enough, that money solves more problems than politics do."

"It doesn't solve everything though, does it?" Amadeus challenged grumpily.

"I think you'll soon change your mind," Nelson said, holding out a pair of gift certificates.

"What are those for?" Amadeus asked, taking one so he could read it.

"These are our tickets in," Nelson explained with a thin smile.


	29. Thirty Sickles

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Thirty Sickles

Laughter rang in the streets as the bus dropped off the students from Hogwarts. They took off in the snow in different directions, some in groups while others running straight for their homes.

"Are you coming over?" Natalie asked Ambrose as they walked down the street.

"No, I'm going to check in with Minerva and then I'm going over to my father's shop to make sure it's ready to open up tomorrow," Ambrose said.

"But he hasn't been back! How could you possibly open the shop when he hasn't finished restocking it yet?" Hope asked.

"Don't worry, I'm sure there's more than enough merchandise to sell. Christmas just isn't the same to me without that shop open," Ambrose said. "Besides, we sold a splendid amount of gift certificates, and it wouldn't be right if we didn't honor them. It'd be a breach of faith."

"I understand," Natalie said. "I think I'll ask Father if I can come help you for a bit tomorrow."

"We can take turns, just like we do at the apothecary," Hope said enthusiastically.

"I don't want you both to be stuck working all holiday…" Ambrose said, shaking his head.

"And what will you be doing then?" Hope challenged him.

"That's different. I'm a seventh year!"

"You may be a seventh year, but I'm still older than you. We're going to help you whether you like it or not," Natalie declared. Ambrose grinned in resignation.

"All right, you win, but I still think you'd be better off spending the time enjoying the snow and visiting your brother and sisters," Ambrose said.

"Fighting with them, you mean," Hope said.

"You're the only one with fights with everyone, Hope," Natalie protested. "Let's walk Ambrose to the shop! I want to see what sort of work we have in store for us tomorrow."

"Good idea," Hope agreed, just as curious as Natalie.

But the shop seemed no different than when they last left it; empty and barren of items with a thick dust settling on the shelves. When the door opened Halcyon and Archimedes flew in, perching on the shelves while the three of them investigated the handful of boxes packed behind the counter.

"Not much here," Hope said glumly, pulling open one of the boxes. "This one is filled with your father's wooden toys, though, and they're always a hit." She took out a toy tiger that growled when she yanked its tail.

"I found a box of those House Elf music boxes," Natalie said. "I love these as well, but there certainly isn't enough here to fill all of those shelves."

"Let me dust a bit so we can unpack those boxes," Ambrose suggested, making sure he dusted off the music box stand first. "And while you're doing that, maybe you can tell me what you want for your birthday, Natalie."

"What I want for my birthday?" Natalie said, her face immediately aglow. Hope groaned loudly. "Oh, practically anything, really! I'm not very picky, you know. I could use some new shoes and ties and I would never turn down a new necklace," she began.

"You realize you opened a can of worms, don't you?" Hope said flatly, but Natalie continued as if she hadn't heard her.

"- and games are always nice as well, anything easy to share, really, but of course we usually get games for Christmas. I suppose I could ask for something for school, not that I really need anything but I'm sure mother and father would want me to. Perhaps a new book bag would suffice? One with those gold clamps that are charmed never to break… oh, and perhaps something to keep my hair out of my face… when I'm doing homework, you know." Hope rolled her eyes.

"And what do you want for Christmas, Hope?" Ambrose asked.

"Maybe a new Bludger Bat to hit my sister with," Hope said, Natalie sticking her tongue out at her.

"Oh, come on, you can do better than that," Ambrose prodded.

"Well, I really would like a new broom this year, and I am also hoping for some sparring gloves or maybe one of those folding wooden chess sets so I can take to school," Hope explained. "I wonder if there are any dragons in here?"

"Chuck doesn't do dragons anymore. He says he's grown out of them," Natalie reminded her.

"He says, but I know better. I've seen his room," Hope snorted.

"Well, I don't know if that's a good idea, but I bet Amber would like one, perhaps that tiger. What do you suppose we should get Mum this year?"

"Another plant?"

"We always get her a plant," Hope protested. "Let's get her something else. Maybe something like this?" she said, picking up a pair of silky silver gloves with silver rose clasps. She felt something inside and realized there was a handwritten card attached. "What's this? It reads, 'These gloves are made of a type of Sidhe silk that is very strong. Despite appearances, they will not stain or tear and the sharpest of thorns cannot penetrate them. Suitable for every occasion from gardening to dinner engagements.' Why! It's almost as if these were made for her!"

"I think that's my father's handwriting," Ambrose said with a smile when he looked over her shoulder.

"But where did they come from? I didn't see them in either of the boxes," Hope said.

Just then they heard the door rattle and turned around to see their father poke his head in the door.

"I had a feeling you'd be here. You were supposed to go straight home," Corey scolded them lightly.

"We were just helping Ambrose put out some things…" Natalie began, and then couldn't help but stare when she noticed that most of the shelves were filled with items from bludger bats to fishing bait.

"They did a good job," Ambrose said supportively.

"Can I get these for Mum while I'm here? They're gardening gloves!" Hope explained, showing them to Corey.

"They don't look like gardening gloves…"  
"They are. Here read the label!"

"Ack, no!" Corey chuckled, putting up his hands in protest. "I believe you, I believe you! Go put your money in the jar so I can get the two of you home. Ambrose, you should be heading home as well. You can always be back bright and early tomorrow after you've unpacked and gotten some rest."

"Yes, and us! We're going to help him with the shop!" Hope declared. "Holiday rush, you know."

"Then who is going to help me?" Corey protested.

"We'll do both!" Natalie said. "It'll be fun."

"Fun," Corey repeated skeptically. "Well, it's your holiday, I suppose. Personally, if anyone had told me I had to work all Christmas holiday when I was your age, I would have run for the hills. Come on, Ambrose."

"Let's go, Archimedes, Halcyon. We'll be back first thing in the morning," Ambrose promised. But Halcyon had just gotten comfortable on his old perch and apparently had no intention of leaving. "All right, have it your way. See you in the morning!"

It was a quiet evening. No wolves howled in the distance, and the rooms in the back of his mother's shop seemed warm, cozy, and secure. He felt like a little boy again, waking up to the smell of breakfast, snuggly slippers for his feet, and all the toys he had played with when he was younger surrounding him as if they were trophies that should be dusted but never thrown away.

"Such a splendid morning, isn't it?" Ashley greeted cheerfully when he shuffled into the kitchen. The moment he sat down, there was food sliding out of the skillet and onto his plate. "Snow fell again last night while we were sleeping. It really does feel like Yule and Christmas is around the corner! What would you like for Christmas, Ambrose?"

"I want my father to come home," Ambrose admitted. Ashley sighed, gazing at him in understanding before she began to prepare her own plate.

"Yes, I miss him terribly as well," Ashley said. "He said he would try to make it back before Christmas, but we both know just how important his work is. Terribly important… two universes rely on his meddling, even if they don't realize he's doing it. And honestly, he isn't the sort of person to be tied down. It goes against his very nature…"

"I know," Ambrose said. "But I would still like him to be home for Christmas."

"Yes, me too," Ashley agreed with a sympathetic smile. "How about something a bit more tangible for a present?"

"Will a hug work?" Ambrose said with a smile.

"Oh, Ambrose," Ashley chuckled, accepting the hug. "You're such a good boy! I don't know what I'd do without you."

Ambrose sighed softly, glad he didn't hint at what he really wanted to ask for. Now was not the time with his father gone, he decided. Perhaps he'd pick something else and worry about Whitebridge later.

The next morning, he entered the shop to see an Unremarkable Suitcase on one of the shelves. Chuckling to himself, he checked over everything else, let in the familiars, and fixed the sign to reflect when he'd be working. He polished the counter and then grabbed a shovel to clean the entryway. But when he opened the door, he saw five kids waiting out front with folded arms.

"I thought you were going to let us help you," Hope said flatly.

"I wasn't expecting you guys to be out here this early," Ambrose grinned.

"I want to help too!" Destiny said.

"I want to shop!" Amber said.

"Don't look at me, I got ambushed into this," Charles said dourly. "Besides, I have to help in Dad's shop in an hour."

"Then why don't you run around town and let folks know that Toby's Trinkets is now open. You are open, aren't you?" Natalie said, gazing at Ambrose.

"Yes, after I clear the entryway…"

"I've got that!" Hope said, yanking the shovel out of his hands.

"I'll spread the word, then," Charles said, taking off down the street.

"I want to help! I want to help!" Destiny declared. Natalie picked her up.

"You can help by watching over these two familiars so they don't get into trouble. You know how familiars can be," Natalie said, putting the little girl on the stool. Destiny nodded sagely at her, then began eyeing Archimedes and Halcyon, who then stared back at her in confusion.

"Does she really buy that?" Ambrose said dubiously.

"Sure, it works at home all the time," Hope said, clearing a path.

It didn't take long for word to spread, and soon the shop was filled with chattering customers, perusing the shelves and talking excitedly about the approaching holiday. Ambrose smiled privately to himself, watching from behind the counter. It was curious how effectively the counter seemed to distance him from the customers… or was it something else? Despite the bustle, he felt strangely alone with his thoughts as if the rest of the goings on was just background noise, or perhaps music that one put on when one was trying to think. Does his father often feel like that, he wondered? It was like watching an orchestra but not playing an instrument and yet… somehow Ambrose was quite sure he wasn't watching the performance so much as he was watching a dress rehearsal. They didn't seem ready to play…

"Are you all feeling all right, Ambrose?"

Ambrose shook himself out of it to see Nancy Parker standing near the counter, gazing at him with open concern.

"Yes, I was just… feeling a bit profound for a moment," Ambrose said, realizing after the fact just how odd that sounded. But Nancy grinned at him.

"You sound like Toby," she said with a chuckle. "I had a friend give me one of these certificates. Is it true that I can pick out anything that I want?"

"Oh, sure. Anything that isn't nailed down or hasn't been already claimed by someone, at any rate," Ambrose said. Archimedes hooted pointedly, as if to remind everyone he fit into that category.

"That's great! Now I just have to pick something. I guess that's the hard part," Nancy said, looking around at the chaos.

"Mittens!" Destiny suggested.

"Pickles!" said Amber, holding up a jar she had found on the shelf.

"Why is there a single puzzle piece on this shelf?" Hope asked in confusion.

"I'm fairly sure I don't need that," Nancy decided.

"Well, what do you need?" Ambrose asked.

"Nothing that I can think of," Nancy said, and began going over the shelves with a frown. "Well, nothing except…"

"What?" Ambrose prompted.

"No, it's nothing," Nancy said with an apologetic smile before she began wandering about again.

"How about a pumpkin butter sandwich?" Hope suggested, taking one off the shelf. But before she could take a bite out of it, Natalie smacked her hand away and pointed her to the jar.

"I think the shop is trying to tell you it's time you went home for lunch," Ambrose said with a grin.

"I want to go too!" Destiny decided. Before long they were all saying their goodbyes, and Ambrose waved and breathed a sigh of relief when they finally left.

Nancy decided to walk back with them, leaving empty handed. What could it have been she was really wanting, Ambrose wondered, and began going through the shelves himself to try and figure out which of the items had been meant for her. Whatever it was, it must have been quite personal if she hadn't wanted to talk about it. She had always been very open to Ambrose in the past. Suddenly, a book caught his eye; a book of Shakespeare, it seemed, with Romeo and Juliet being one of three plays featured. Was this what she was after? Perhaps not intentionally, Ambrose decided. What she really wanted was some way to keep her relationship with Dirk from becoming a tragedy.

Ambrose sighed softly, wishing could figure out some way to help. If only his father would get back… surely he'd have some ideas on how to help them. Then again, it would be just as likely for him to withhold giving any advice on the subject; in hopes they somehow worked it out for themselves. Trying to predict just what Merlin's reaction would be to any given situation could be just as unpredictable as his comings and goings. But he himself knew what advice he would give, no matter how dangerous it could be; Dirk was going to have to tell his father the truth.

A question from Corey Martin about the puzzle piece interrupted his thoughts, and soon he was too busy working to think about it anymore. It was always fun to work in the shop, but it was also quite hectic; practically everyone local who could get away from their own stores and homes stopped buy either to shop or to make sure it would be open the next day as if they were all afraid it'd disappear again.

It was fairly late in the afternoon when things began to quiet down; first the town visitors hurried off, then even the locals began to scatter, consciously aware of the approaching sunset.

"I suppose we ought to think about locking up," Ambrose decided, the two familiars twirping and hooting in agreement. "I said five o'clock on the sign, though. I suppose we have about ten minutes, so I'll go restock the music boxes."

As he walked towards the window display, he couldn't help but notice that there was a man standing outside; a bit portly and blonde, well-dressed and carrying a cane. Of course, it hadn't been the first time that Ambrose had seen him standing there, but something was different this time. The man's eyes no longer looked as if he were staring at a wall. In fact, Ambrose was fairly sure that he was reading the sign on the door. The man glanced at his watch and then into the window, looking straight at Ambrose. He nodded then with a thin smile that Ambrose couldn't read, but he really hadn't wanted to. His heart was pounding and his mind was racing. Why could he see the shop? He was quite certain his father didn't want him in here, so why could he see it now? Just then, a second man Apparated beside the first, and it was someone that Ambrose recognized immediately. After a quick word to the first man, the two approached the shop together causing Ambrose to back up and then scramble behind the counter.

The blonde man opened the door, stepping in with an amazed look on his face.

"It worked! It actually worked!" he said in awe. "I never thought I'd ever get back in here again!"

"This is the shop you've been pining over?" Nelson said dubiously, grimacing at the selection of handcuffs, shackles, and flogging whips. "It appears to be nothing more than a pawn shop, and not a very good one at that."

"This isn't a pawn shop," Ambrose said evenly. "And I really don't think my father would want either of you shopping in here."

"We are not shopping so much as we are claiming," Nelson replied, showing him the gift certificate.

"How did you get those?" Ambrose stammered.

"Gifts from a friend, what else?" said the other man.

"Just tell him what you're here for, Amadeus. He doesn't need to know that," Nelson warned.

"I am looking for a potion, and I've heard this is the only place that sells them. A special potion that cures… well, actually what it does is…"

"He is looking for an potion to cure impotency," Nelson interrupted bluntly. Amadeus glared at him. "The same one that Snape bought to increase the size of his already horrendously large family."

"Oh!" Ambrose said, glancing over the shelves thoughtfully and scratching his head. "I don't think I've seen any potions in here all day, come to think of it. You might want to look around to double check, though."

"You are going to keep the shop open while we look, correct?" Amadeus said.

"Well, not for very long. There's a curfew in town, you see, so if I'm not home by five past five, my mother is likely to worry," Ambrose explained.

"You have enough responsibility to run this entire shop by yourself and yet you can't walk home on your own?" Nelson asked, squinting at him slightly.

"Well, it's the law, after all," Ambrose explained. Nelson rolled his eyes. "I will help you look."

"I don't see anything that even remotely looks like a potion bottle. Not even so much as a jar of perfume," Amadeus said with frustration. "Are you certain there aren't any in the back?"

"No, there isn't anything left back there but a few crates of toys," Ambrose admitted.

"Then why bother opening the shop at all if all there is left is a handful of junk? You should have waited until your father came back from his shopping trip. You'll do no business with this sort of thing… shackles, handcuffs, a bit of tying rope, a set of horse blinders…"

"Do you need a set of blinders?" Ambrose asked suddenly.

"Don't be ridiculous! I'm a better horseman than that! Amadeus, I don't see anything that could possibly be… hm, what is in that pouch?" he said, grabbing it off the shelf. "It's a small coin pouch. It even has Sickles in it. Someone must have left it."

"I don't think anyone left it," Ambrose said evenly. "I think it is part of the merchandise." Nelson turned and stared at him.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I have heard of! Who would sell a pouch of Sickles, especially in a shop where you name your own price?" Nelson said. "There must be over a Galleon and a half in here…" he said counting them out.

"Don't you ever think of anything besides money?" Amadeus said with exasperation, still digging through the shelves.

"Thirty Sickles, and the person who bought this certificate paid a Galleon for it. I think I'll take it," Nelson decided, putting the certificate in the jar.

"Thirty Sickles? Isn't that supposed to mean something?" Amadeus wondered out loud.

"It means you ought to watch your back," Ambrose said, looking over the shelf beside him. Nelson whirled around in surprise and walked over to Ambrose, pulling him around by the shirt collar.

"Exactly what are you accusing me of, Tinker?" Nelson growled dangerously.

"I'm not accusing you of anything," Ambrose said. "I just think you're the type that would sell anyone out if you thought there was a profit in it."

"Why you little…"

"Would you kindly take your hand off my son?" The stern warning came from directly behind them, and the voice was unmistakably Toby's.

Nelson hadn't meant to actually obey that voice, but somehow he found his arms at his sides, still managing to clench them in anger.

"Father! You're back!" Ambrose said delightedly.

"Yes, and just in time, it would seem. Mr. Nelson, I see you somehow managed to buy something. You had better leave before I lose my temper," Toby said with a flash in his eyes.

"My companion hasn't found what he is looking for yet," Nelson said unconcernedly.

"If he's looking for what I think he is looking for, he may as well stop looking. There are no potions in the shop," Toby said firmly.

"Did you happen to find any more in your travels?" Amadeus asked.

"No, and those potions take a lot of time, energy and personal sacrifice to make. I am not likely to get any more back in this shop for at least another twenty years or so."

"Perhaps the formula is for sale?" Nelson ventured.

"No, sir, it is not," Toby said.

"Are you sure? I could probably make it worth your while," Amadeus said.

"No, sir, you cannot," Toby said. "This shop closes in two minutes, and since neither of you are likely to get in here again, so I suggest you make up your mind quick, Mr. Longbottom."

"Have it your way, then. Pick something, Amadeus," Nelson said.

Amadeus sighed and turned to the shelves in the middle of the room. For a moment it looked as if he was planning to pick up the horse blinders, but after a warning hiss from Nelson, he picked up the shackles instead.

"I'll take that myself, thank you," Toby said when Amadeus was about to put the certificate in the jar. "Kindly be on your way, I need to make some security adjustments before I walk the boy home."

"Add as much as you like," Nelson said. "But we will be back, Mr. Tinker, and we will get that formula, one way or another. Every man has his price."

"Yes, and now we know yours," Toby said, opening the door for them and locking it the moment they were outside. Suddenly both of the men seemed to be tossed forward onto the street, and when they turned they found themselves staring at a brick wall once more. "Shackles. By my Lady, I hope that girl wanders into my shop before he starts to get bored with her," Toby murmured under his breath.

"What girl?" Ambrose asked.

"Never you mind about that, we have something else to discuss. Where did these certificates come from?" Toby asked.

"Oh uh… well, I made them, actually, for a school fundraiser. I didn't think anyone like Nelson would get a hold of one, Father. I certainly didn't know it would let them in the shop!" Ambrose said.

"A gift certificate is sort of like a contract for an exchange of services, Ambrose. Being an honorable boy, you felt honor bound to fulfill them all. You simply didn't think to safeguard against someone having one who shouldn't," Toby said with a sigh.

"I wasn't expecting anyone except students and their families to have them," Ambrose said glumly. "And I'm not sure how I'd have safeguarded them."

"Simply by including the lovely little phrase, 'Void Where Prohibited' along the bottom of the certificate would have sufficed," Toby pointed out.

"Really? Wow, I should have thought of that," Ambrose said sheepishly. "Sorry, Father."

"Oh, it's all right, Ambrose, it was an honest mistake, after all," Toby said, patting the boy's shoulder while looking distractedly around the shop. "How many of those dreaded things are out there, anyway?"

"I don't know… fifty or sixty…"

"Fifty or Sixty!"

"Our shop sold more than practically anybody's," Ambrose explained. "Except for Honeydukes. We're always popular at Christmas."

"Ho ho ho," Toby said without enthusiasm, wondering if he wouldn't have been better off staying in the Otherworld until spring.


	30. Transgressions

Chapter Thirty

Transgressions

"Home at last!" Jennifer declared as they stepped into the foyer and slipped off their snowy shoes. "I'm so looking forward to a nice quiet holiday at home!"

"Since when are our holidays ever quiet?" Severus inquired, putting Quintin down on the living room floor. "Knowing how you are, you probably already have plans for the entire family invading this house on Yule."

"Of course! We have to make up for not being around last year," Jennifer said, immediately wandering to the kitchen to sort through the cabinets. Lucky was already there sorting through the post. "Does Dale even know you're home now?"

"Nah, I'll text him in a bit to let him know we're here," Lucky said.

"You'll what?" Jennifer asked blankly.

"I was just curious if anything was here from the entrance board or if there were college pamphlets and stuff," Lucky explained.

"You'll have all summer to worry about that," Jennifer said with a sigh.

"Let's concentrate on one thing at a time, shall we? You still have NEWTS to get through," Severus warned her.

"It doesn't really matter how I do on those if I get into a good college," Lucky shrugged.

"But Lucky, what if you decide that you want to go into a magical field later in life? Most good jobs will contact the school for those scores, you know. If you don't do well on your NEWTS you might regret it later," Jennifer scolded her.

"There is also the possibility that the scores on your entrance exams were too low and no college worth bothering with will take you in," Severus suggested.

"No way! I aced the math exam," Lucky protested.

"Yes, but how well did you do on the regular exam?" Severus asked. Lucky frowned unsurely.

"I think I'd better go unpack," Lucky decided.

"See how Leu is doing while you're up there," Jennifer said, giving Severus a knowing look before getting a bottle out of the icebox. Lucky wandered out into the hallway. "Do you suppose we're doing the right thing not telling her?"

"Yes," Severus said simply. "I'm heading to the basement to check our potion supplies. Is there anything in particular you want made up?"

"No, not particularly… but don't you dare fill up the shelves with vampire deterrents," Jennifer said for good measure, taking the bottle in to Quintin.

It was just after everyone was settled and Jennifer began thinking about starting dinner when Benjamin came home. Jay and Rus ran into the kitchen to announce their presence, climbing onto the stools as if expecting to be fed immediately.

"What, no hugs and kisses?" Jennifer tsked, hugging them despite their demands. "Do you know what we're having for dinner, Rus?" she asked, letting him study her face.

"Fish Stew!" Rus said excitedly.

"That's right. I'll make a big pot of it so you'll have something for lunch tomorrow, but you will have to hold on until I get it prepared," Jennifer explained.

"I want pun'kin butter," Jay said, folding his arms stubbornly.

"Butter, please!" Rus agreed. Jennifer looked over at Jay expectantly.

"I want pun'kin butter please," Jay said grumpily. Jennifer smiled proudly at him.

"Very well! I suppose I have a moment to spare to make a quick sandwich," Jennifer said.

"Hullo, welcome home," Benjamin said as he finally caught up to them, looking quite worn out.

"Welcome home yourself. Tea or coffee?" Jennifer said. "I'm just about to start some coffee now, so either is available."

"Coffee, I think. Is Severus home as well?"

"He's down in the basement already. I think he needed a moment of quiet after having the fun of getting all of Quintin's things here," Jennifer chuckled.

"Oh, I know that feeling," Ben admitted with a grin. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Take your time! Perhaps the coffee will be ready and waiting by the time you come back up," Jennifer said, putting a sandwich plate down for the boys to share.

"Thank you, I appreciate it more than you know," Ben said sincerely.

"Not at all, I was going to make some for Severus anyway," Jennifer protested, giving him a warm and yet inquisitive smile. Why was Ben behaving so strangely? His movements seemed slow and forced, and he looked quite exhausted, but without the benefit of Truth Seeking, she really couldn't fathom its meaning. Perhaps Severus would have some ideas, she thought hopefully to herself. At least Ben seemed willing to talk to him.

When Ben slipped down quietly down the stairs, Severus already seemed to be having a conversation; odd hissing noises were going back and forth, one sounding much more natural than the other.

"Is it safe to come down?" Ben asked.

"Only if you're not a potion phial that came within three miles of Rasputin's tail," Severus said, getting hissed at again.

"I had a retriever with a vicious tail once. Of course, he wasn't quite that big," Ben said.

"Oh, what happened to him?" Severus said, tallying the shelves.

"Had to leave him with my sister when I moved out on my own," Ben murmured. "When we left Haven, my mother thought it'd be best if we forgot about all of that and moved on with our lives. She thought that everyone was making a big mistake talking about going to Hogsmeade because she thought we would be treated like outsiders there. I suppose she had a point thinking back on it, and knowing that the Haveners did have a hard time getting accepted up there. But all the same, I've always hated her for intentionally keeping me away from Alex. She thought I would be better off in 'an equal relationship' as she put it. Now that I think about it… well, perhaps I was too hard on her."

"Parents will always go to extraordinary lengths to protect their children from anything they consider harmful," Severus said. "Just as they will always attempt to extend that protection past childhood…and for as long as possible. Of course, that does bring a formidable amount of friction to the relationship."

"So what you're saying is that it's natural," Ben said dryly.

"From my experience both as a parent and as a Headmaster, yes," Severus agreed. "I have the perfect example of that going on in my school right now, as a matter of fact. One of the Parkers has fallen for an Atchison, one of the more respected pure blood families. His father doesn't know what is going on but suspects, I think, and is doing everything in his power to keep his son from becoming too attached to anything remotely Muggle. He's a bit late for that."

"I'll bet," Ben chuckled. "Where did they meet? In Hogsmeade, I suppose?"

"No, through a pen pal service one of the Order of the Owl members set up to encourage tolerance… and I was the one who paired him with a Havener. I was hoping that having the chance to see the world from an entirely new perspective would be good for Dirk, especially when he seemed to be floundering at that point because he was unsure of his path back then."

"It sounds as if it worked out quite well," Ben said with a thin smile.

"Yes, too well," Severus admitted. "I think it will work out in the end, but whether or not it'll destroy Dirk's relationship with his father will depend on how his father deals with it when everything comes out. Hopefully Kris will wise up, but those Atchisons tend to be a stubborn lot."

"As stubborn as Snapes are?" Ben challenged him knowingly.

"No one else is that stubborn," Severus said flatly. "So, tell me about your new job. You seem to work longer hours."

"No, not really. I start an hour later, which is brilliant because it gives me plenty of time to get Jay to school and Rus to the Nanny's. And since it's a magic company, they don't get in a tizzy every time I explain to them that I have to leave because one of my sons managed to fall through a wall or grew antlers or something," Ben said.

"Really? A magic company that needs a computer expert?" Severus asked thoughtfully.

"They deal in both magic and Muggle sales so they needed someone who could work a computer and convert all the numbers into Gringotts standard," Ben explained. "My supervisor is a goblin; he isn't a very friendly fellow, and I certainly wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley, but he does know his numbers. Not only that, the job pays well, probably enough to support the family on my own. In fact, I've been wondering if perhaps we oughtn't get a place of our own."

"And leave this poor house without anyone to look after it?" Severus said. "You know how little we are using it right now. Even in the summer we're usually at sea rather than at home. Do you feel we don't give you enough privacy?"

"Oh, plenty! It's just…well I don't want to be an inconvenience…"

"It'd be much more inconvenient if you left, and haven't we had this discussion before?" Severus said impatiently.

"Yes," Ben said glumly. Severus gazed at him thoughtfully.

"If you gave me any other reason other than inconvenience for us, I would probably support the decision. Were it to have more room for the boys, yourself and Alex, or that you want a location outside of the city, as any sane person should…"

"Well, what if…" Ben suddenly caught himself, thinking it over for a moment before shaking his head. "Nothing, never mind. I'll drop it."

"I see you managed to go through all the Buck-up Brew," Severus commented, setting the list down on the table.

"Yes, some time ago, actually. I am doing much better though," Ben added quickly.

"Good, then I won't worry about making any more," Severus said. Ben tried not to groan, petting Rasputin who had come up to the stairs and was looking at him expectantly. "Has there been any more trouble with the House Elves?"

"No, none at all," Ben said.

"Hm. I wonder if I should be concerned about that," Severus frowned.

"Why would you be?" Ben asked.

"Because that could mean one of three things; either the new security measures are working, they decided to give up and use other tactics, or they simply found what they were looking for the first time and had no reason to try again," Severus said. "At any rate, let me know if you notice anything peculiar in their behavior now that we're home."

"Sure," Ben said, and then got up. "I think I'll go see if the coffee is done."

"Good idea. Why did you come down here, by the way? You never really did say," Severus said, looking up from the bottles he was cleaning.

"It was nothing important," Ben said. Severus gazed at him, pondering the right question to ask when the door of the basement opened again.

"Severus! The coffee machine has stopped working again!" Jennifer said with exasperation.

"Then move the baby!" Severus shouted up the stairs.

"Move the baby? What nonsense! I'll boil some water," Jennifer said with exasperation, walking away.

"They never listen, do they?" Severus said, sounding exasperated as well.

"No…no, they don't," Ben agreed quietly.

Much to Jennifer's surprise, her father was quite early for Yule that year. But the reason became obvious when he completely ignored her at the doorstep and walked straight in to where Quintin was sitting propped up on the couch.

"Look at my little man, he has learned to sit up. You are getting so big! Jen-girl, they don't stay little long enough!" Thomas grumped. "Can't you cheat a little?"

"Certainly not. What you're thinking would be very dangerous to a growing baby, and I for one am having quite a bit of fun watching him grow up. He's getting stronger and more curious by the day; he's fascinated by practically everything new he sees," Jennifer said proudly.

"So you're saying he's easily amused?" Thomas taunted her.

"What she is saying is he likes to get into trouble," Andrew chuckled. "At any given opportunity. Think he'll be a Gryffindor?"

"Bite your tongue, he's a Tie-breaker. And there can only be one house when it comes to that. Isn't that right, Quintin? You want to grow up to be a Slytherin, don't you?" Thomas asked. Quintin simply grinned and stared at him. "And where is that father of his? Downstairs trying to bottle as much of that Elixir as he can before he loses it?"

"Please don't bring that up tonight. Severus is very touchy on the subject right now," Jennifer begged.

"I'll bet. Is Sirius going to be here?"

"No, I believe they're spending Yule with Julia's family this year," Jennifer said.

"Damn. And here I was hoping to see some family drama."

"And I would like Quintin's first Yule to be as warm, happy, and undramatic as possible," Jennifer said firmly. Just then, everyone began to hear shouting coming from outside.

"Too late. Drama incoming," Thomas said, leaning back to try to see who was coming inside.

"It was just a skit, Marie. You know I do the children's charity event every year…"

"Not with a girl on your lap!"

"Haven't you ever heard of acting? It was supposed to be funny!"

"The how come I wasn't laughing?" Lucky shouted at him, storming into the room. "Go away, you're not invited anymore!"

"Goodness! What is this all about?" Fleur asked.

"Aw, he's cheating on me!" Lucky scowled, glaring at Dale who was peering in the door looking a little worse for wear.

"I'm not cheating on you! Why have you gotten so sensitive lately?" Dale asked with exasperation.

"Stop giving me a reason to be!" Lucky snapped back.

"I haven't been giving you a reason…" Dale said, but stopped following her when she decided to retreat upstairs.

"Come on in, Dale. Make yourself at home," Jennifer suggested, putting a tray out.

"Are you sure you still want me here?" Dale said uncomfortably.

"Jen-girl's right, come on in. Trust us, it'll be far worse for you if you try leaving right now," Thomas agreed. "She'll expect you to be here when she comes back down again, and if she sees you here, she'll probably stick her nose up in the air and pretend nothing happened."

"All the sudden you think you are an expert on women, Thomas?" Fleur asked with an alluring smile.

"No man is an expert on the subject of women. I am simply a seasoned veteran," Thomas grunted.

"He's seasoned all right," Jennifer said wryly, then heard the door and opened it for Andrew, Aurelius, and Ginger. "Happy Yule! Is it snowing again?"

"It would seem to be," Andrew agreed. "Everyone here?"

"Just about. Ben is upstairs getting the boys ready to come down, and Alicia will be here any minute. I'm not quite sure when Alex will get here. She didn't answer my Owl or Ben's last message," Jennifer said thoughtfully.

"She should be here. I know she left the Ministry even earlier than I did tonight," Thomas said distractedly while enticing Quintin with a biscuit.

"Corey and his family are staying in Hogsmeade. They just sent word that Toby and Dumbledore have arrived so they decided to have something at their house."

"Good, I'm glad he's back. I have a question or two to ask," Aurelius said.

"That's what your father said. Fortunately, I convinced him to stay for the evening," Jennifer said. "He and Leu are down in the basement finishing the mistletoe balms, but they'll be up in a moment. They were almost done when I checked on them last."

"That's good, because it's almost dusk," Thomas said, looking outside and then glancing at his watch.

"Happy Yule!" called a voice from the hall, and Jennifer peered out to see Francis helping Alicia step off a desk under one of the paintings.

"Happy Yule, Francis! Happy Yule, Michael and Dawn!"

"Boo!" Michael said, scrunching up his hands.

"I wish you wouldn't keep doing that," Francis said with embarrassment, putting him on the floor.

"Is everyone here now?" Leu asked, looking out the basement door.

"Everyone but Alex, yes, so please ask your father to come on up," Jennifer said.

"All right," Leu said, disappearing from view again.

"I hope this year's speech is as short as it was last year," Thomas said.

"We weren't here last year, Dad," Jennifer reminded him.

"I know. That was my point," Thomas said. "Severus can get long winded about this kind of thing."

"Just for that, perhaps we should make Thomas give the speech this year," Severus suggested dangerously as he stepped into the room with Leu close behind.

"Can't. There are children present, and I can't make a good speech when I have to censor every other word," Thomas grumbled. "We could get Quintin to do it. He can't get in much trouble with his limited vocabulary. Speaking of which, here comes the other two…" he said just as Jay and Rus ran down the stairs and bounced onto the couch. Ben came in a moment later, smiling wanly and giving everyone a wave before turning his computer chair around and settling there. "Let's get Ben to do it, he seems like a man of few words."

"I'll do it, thank you… wait a moment, where is Lucky?" Severus asked, staring at Dale who refused to meet his gaze, looking uncomfortable.

"Drama," Thomas explained, pointing upstairs.

"Llewellyn, make sure she comes down, will you please? Is Alexandria not coming?"

"I'm sure she just got detained," Alicia answered quickly. "I'll go get her."

"You're not going to bother her if she's working, are you?" Ben asked worriedly.

"Work isn't everything. Family is everything," Alicia said firmly before stepping into another painting. Jennifer beamed proudly. But Aurelius put his face in his hand and shook his head, and Andrew seemed unusually somber.

"Correct," Maurice said, picking out a biscuit. "But we all have jobs to do to make certain that family is preserved."

"True, but sometimes you can work so hard at it you lose sight of why you were doing it in the process," Thomas mused.

"For example, Father?" Maurice asked.

"Mummy!" said Rus, rushing over as Alex appeared in the doorway and hugging her warmly. But Severus hadn't missed the fact that Jay simply folded his arms and looked quite stubborn, while Ben gazed at her with a strangely uncertain expression, as if he couldn't make up his mind on how to react to her presence.

"At least someone missed me," Alex said. Ben's expression changed dramatically.

"Don't be silly, of course we missed you! We weren't about to start without you," Jennifer said with exasperation.

"Sorry I was late. I was just… well, actually, I lost track of the time…"

"You don't have to give us any excuses, Alex. We're just glad you're here," Ben said quietly.

There were footsteps on the stairs and Lucky and Leu came down, Lucky taking a seat beside Dale but refusing to look at him while Dale was pleadingly trying to get her attention.

"We are about to begin the longest night of the year," Severus began, stepping over to the fireplace and getting his glass from Jennifer. "Usually a festive occasion; a night for gathering, getting caught up with family and so forth. It is a time to reflect on the year past and to look forward to the year ahead. Lately, dusk has been a time of dread for all of us, whether we are affected directly or indirectly by this war, and it would be foolish to think that the vampires won't take advantage of tonight. There will undoubtedly be raids, and some of us will be called out into it. But for now we are together, and just as this night is a turning point for the year, so too do I hope it is a turning point for this silly war and for the pursuits of our other enemies. To victory and peace."

"Victory and peace," the others said, sipping from their glass.

"Short enough for you, Dad?" Jennifer asked teasingly.

"No," Thomas said flatly, but everyone else chuckled.

"Stay awhile," Severus heard Alicia murmur to Alex. "At least long enough to visit the kids."

"It isn't as if they would miss me," Alex murmured.

"How can you say that?" Alicia asked back.

"I'll just slip out from the back like I always do. They won't even know I've gone," Alex whispered.

"Brilliant, but I'm not helping you," Alicia said, turning her attention back to the room.

"So, Leu, what do you want for Christmas?" Thomas asked.

"Me?"

"Well, I can guess what any other member of the family would want, but all I know about you is that you like ocean diving and don't like goblins," Thomas said. "So what do you want?"

"Shirts, socks, and underwear," Leu said solemnly. Thomas blinked.

"What? What sort of kid would want that?" Thomas asked blankly.

"I really don't want anything at all, but Noah said that parents are put out if their children don't say they want something. So I asked some of the other boys I know about what they wanted for Christmas to get some ideas. They said it really didn't matter what they wanted; they would almost always get shirts, socks, or underwear instead. So I just thought I'd save time and trouble and ask for that," Leu explained.

"Don't pay attention to him, he's still got a screw loose after that goblin thing…"

"Lucky!"

"Don't scold, her, Jen-girl, I think she has a point," Thomas said, eyeing Leu warily.

"He likes outdoor activities, exploring, hiking, sports, especially Quidditch and hurling," Lucky went on. "He could definitely use a set of the new Quidditch goggles in case he makes the team next year and a new Snitch because his old one has been veering to the right ever since Copper ate it. He could also use anything that makes him interact with human beings, because he is really lacking in social skills. And he would benefit from spending money… assuming you can convince him to actually spend any of it on himself."

"I'm all right. I really don't know what she is going on about," Leu protested.

"Not at all, she makes perfect sense. She can actually be a very reasonable, practical girl, except when it comes to her relationship with Dale," Thomas said. Lucky glared at him. "Don't worry, boy, she'll learn to trust you if you give her enough time and plenty of patience."

"At this point I'd simply be happy with some way to reassure her," Dale said.

"He's telling the truth, Lucky," Aurelius chimed in. "If he was cheating, I'd know about it."

Ben's head whipped around and he stared at Aurelius, but Aurelius wasn't turned in his direction. Finally he got up and made his way through towards the dining room.

"Benjamin?" Jennifer inquired, wondering about his curious expression.

"It's all right, I just need some air. I'll be back in a moment," Ben said, slipping through the kitchen and out into the backyard to watch the snowfall. Jennifer sighed and turned back around to see Aurelius, Andrew and Alicia looking at the floor. "What on earth is the matter with everyone tonight? Everyone seems so glum!"

"Let me go get some more refreshments," Alex offered, heading to the kitchen. Severus slipped out the front.

"Maurice is going to have some friends over for a few days right after Christmas, Leu. Perhaps you can come over on Boxing Day and get some 'human interaction' that Lucky says you need," Thomas suggested.

"May I?" Leu asked, looking around at Jennifer.

"Yes, since it is after Christmas, and as long as you get all of your homework done," Jennifer said.

"I have it all done already," Leu said.

"What sort of child does his homework before the holidays?" Thomas wanted to know.

"A very responsible one," Jennifer said proudly. "Leu has always done well studying, he was at the top of all of his classes at midterm."

"With everything you've both done for me, it wouldn't be right to do less than my best," Leu said.

"Scary, isn't he?" Andrew chuckled. "Nothing that puberty won't fix, isn't that right, Father? Hm, where did he go?"

"Oh, no, I hope he didn't leave to get his violin," Alicia groaned.

Severus had been watching Alex very carefully, and the instant she made her move, so did he. He quickly cut her off in the hall, and after gazing each other guardedly for some time he pointed her towards the library stairs. Sighing silently, Alex turned and went into the library with her father two steps behind her.

"I hope this isn't going take long. I mean, you are right in that the Ministry is likely to be busy tonight, and I've been helping Draco with some things…"

"If Thomas and Aurelius feel comfortable with spending an hour after dusk with family, you can afford the time to speak with me," Severus said, shutting the door with a flick of the hand and placing an eavesdropping ward upon it. "How long have your siblings been covering for you? Eight months, perhaps longer? Six months at the very least."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Alex said evenly.

"Don't you? You may be able to cloud your mother's eyes through your brother's occlumancy since she never developed the knack of reading people's expressions any other way, but I am seeing what is going on quite clearly," Severus said, picking up the violin case and setting it by the door.

"Aurelius is only protecting my thoughts because I'm helping Draco with some things," Alex explained, and Severus nodded curtly at her.

"That at least I believe is true. It would have definitely been your brother's original attention to protect you rather than to put himself in a position where he had to cover up your lies. Unfortunately, the fact that his protection was there simply made it all the easier for you to think you could get away with it. After all, you were already leading a double life, which, granted, was not a situation of your making. But I think it must have taken its toll on you over the last few years, and recently it has been your life away from your family that has seemed more real to you, has it not?" Severus asked knowingly. Feeling a bit deflated, Alex finally found a chair by the fire.

"You're right," Alex said at last, staring into the flames. "This isn't how I intended my life to be like. I wanted to accomplish so much…"

"And now you feel trapped by it," Severus finished after her voice had trailed off, stepping over to the mantle. "Trapped by it and feeling as if you never really played a part in your life's decisions in the first place."

"Yes," Alex admitted quietly.

"I went through something similar myself, as you may recall, when I went on my supposed sabbatical. I remember the feeling well," Severus admitted, reaching for his pipe. "Although I do have the feeling that your infidelity has probably gone further than mine had, considering you tend to be more impulsive and less cautious than I am, and your children are not of the age to question it…"

"Half a moment! What makes you think I've been unfaithful to anyone?" Alex asked with alarm. "Just because I said I feel trapped doesn't mean I'm seeing anyone else!"

"It wasn't anything you've said," Severus said in a low voice. "It was the look in Benjamin's eyes tonight. The hopelessness, heartache, longing… he was almost too terrified to breathe in fear that what little relationship the two of you have left would disintegrate completely. I remember that look in Jennifer's eyes, and it'll haunt me forever. I am wondering now if you will feel the same someday, or if you refuse to acknowledge it at all."

"He'll get over it," she said, standing up and walking to the other side of the room. "After all, the children are with him."

"I see," Severus said, but there was something skeptical in his tone.

"Just because you and mother don't believe in divorce doesn't mean the rest of us agree with you," Alex snapped defensively. "After all, we can't all be cosmic matches, sometimes these things just don't work out."

"I agree that it is the most likely outcome of this situation considering where this is headed. Is that what you want?" Severus asked bluntly.

"Actually I… well, I'm still thinking about it. I'd rather prefer if things simply stayed the way they are now."

"There is no way that things can possibly stay how they are now, Alexandria. One way or another, you must make up your mind and allow those involved to have their input in this situation or I will intervene."

"Not now!" Alex said in a panic, turning back around. "Surely not right now, not with everything else going on… not before the holiday at least!"

"And may I ask who the other person involved in this is?" Severus asked, ignoring the plea.

"Xavier Platt," Alex admitted with a sigh. Severus blinked. "I suppose you're not surprised."

"Quite the contrary. Didn't you learn anything about him from when you were teenagers? I didn't think you liked cowards," Severus said.

"Xavier is no coward!" Alex snapped.

"He has been running away from his life since the day that goblin died," Severus snapped back. "He didn't fight for you, he didn't fight to stay close to home, and he certainly hasn't done anything to fight the family's reputation with goblins, even though he was in a position that he could have. He could have ended his family's curse had he chose to stay, but he chose to run. He has been nothing but selfish in his pursuits, and I would wonder about his timing in pursuing you. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he wants to keep you safely married to someone else so he can have the perks and none of the headaches."

"You're just saying those things because you're defending Benjamin."

"I am saying them because I believe them to be true, whether you do or not," Severus said. "You have the right to run your life as you like, but I also have the right to have an opinion on what I am seeing, especially when it's obviously harmful to your own family."

"What harm? All Benjamin and I have done lately is argued, and the boys are already used to me not being around them. How would it be any different?" Alex said. Severus stared at her in disbelief.

"If you can't tell the difference from sacrifice and selfishness, I highly doubt anything I say will help. You will do what you want regardless of what I think, knowing, I suppose, that your family will support you in the end. But I want to make something perfectly clear. You may decide to abandon your sons and husband, but it doesn't mean anyone else plans to. My grandsons don't need to deal with changing homes on top of everything else. Regardless of what you decide, they are staying here," Severus said firmly. "They will have enough to adjust to, and they did nothing to deserve this."

"Fine. It's not like I really live here anyway," Alex said coolly before finally making her way out the door. Severus shook his head, putting out his pipe and grabbing his violin case before going back downstairs.

* * *

Alex had already not been looking forward to Christmas, but her conversation with her father had made her dread it even more. She was certain that he would at least keep it quiet until after the holiday to everyone except her mother. Her face grew warm despite the cool evening, shuffling the snow as she walked. Somehow, she had to prove she was doing the right thing for her own sanity, if no one else's.

The Ministry seemed peaceful… at least at that moment. Alex shook off the snow as she entered the reception area, passing the checkpoints on her way to the war office. But halfway there, she decided to detour to the Auror's office to see who was on duty. The sound of a crackling fire took her a bit by surprise; there had never been a hearth in there before. But now there was; a lovely brick one with holly and twisted ivy on the mantle and a Yule log burning inside, while a plate of spice pudding and candy sat on one corner of the desk.

"Wow, I see you've been taken care of," Alex said, causing Harry to turn around from the flag board.

"Hey. I wasn't expecting you back so soon, but I'm glad you're here," Harry said. "Where's Rel?"

"Oh, he'll be over there for a while, I just got away because Father was getting on my nerves. Have there been many attacks coming in?" Alex asked.

"Skirmishes so far, nothing the RBF feels 'worth bothering anyone about.' But anyway, I want to talk to you about that last Owl you sent me, because I think you're onto something," Harry said. "There is something a bit dodgy about the fact Nelson and Amadeus own the Magic Mirror Company. Apparently it was going to go under but from what a goblin informant told me he had snatched it up quite suddenly a few days before the war started. Strange timing, if you ask me. Not to mention the fact that Nelson is known for keeping a stable full of some of the best and most expensive magical horses in Europe, including a Nightmare. If he's not one of them, he is at the very least helping them by supplying them horses."

"Well, I think we both know the motive," Alex said, pulling a chair up by the fire. "Nelson doesn't do anything except for profit."

"You're right, and I have a feeling that this isn't the only company he owns that's profiting from everything going on," Harry said.

"Do you think he's one of them?" Alex asked.

"If he is, he's on the real nightmare; the roan," Harry said. "But don't mention this to Danny just yet, not until we have something solid on him."

"Well, what about Amadeus? It's his company too, so he probably knows something," Alex conjectured.

"Probably just a financier. I mean, I can't see either Nelson or Foncé trusting Amadeus with anything important, can you?" Harry said.

"Money is always Nelson's motive," Alex reminded him. "I'm just not sure what sort of motive Amadeus would have for being involved in this."

"I have some idea," Harry said, glancing at the flag board. "Damn, Amadeus is one of the flags I'm still missing. Nelson's flag isn't here either."

"The parole office would have one of Amadeus, wouldn't they?" Alex suggested.

"Yes, but they're closed at night. Let's head to your grandfather's office. I'm certain there's a Nelson flag on there, and they might be together."

"Right, let's go," Alex agreed, the two of them quickly moving down the corridor, intentionally using the back corridors to dodge a couple of RBF checkpoints so that they could get there faster. Sal nodded to them at the last checkpoint and quickly let them in, the two of them entering to see a rather surprised Adler Bosworth sitting at the desk.

"We need to borrow the flag board," Harry explained.

"Oh? Is there trouble?" Adler asked, quickly letting him into the main office. The three of them went in and stared at a moment, but Adler didn't see anything unusual.

"Is that it?" Alex asked, pointing to a spot just north of London.

"Magnify," Harry said, the map turning blurry for a moment before it suddenly seemed to zoom in on the area, at a height one might be at if watching it from a broom. "Isn't that the Coventry estate?"

"I'm sure it is, there's a football pitch out on the back lawn," Alex said.

"Ah, yes. Mr. Coventry was giving a Yule party tonight for the Collection Society," Adler said. "I was invited as well, but I had already promised the Minister that I would take the evening shift. I suppose with the Ministry Ball cancelled this year, he probably has a rather good turnout."

"Well, at least they're probably behaving themselves. I suppose that at least buys me time to get them on the flag board. We won't learn anything tonight," Harry decided.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Alex said with a smile. "Harry, what would you say about a little party crashing?" Harry didn't have to think about it for long.

"You're on. Just let me get Tonks or someone in the office to watch the board," Harry said.

"In the meantime, I think I'll go change into something more festive," Alex decided. "Now this is more like my kind of Yule."

"You would think so," Harry said, shaking his head with a smile as they left the office.


	31. Solstice With Equinox

Chapter Thirty-One

Solstice with Equinox

Sirius Black stood by the fireplace in the ballroom with a glass in hand, sipping it thoughtfully while taking in the other guests at the party. He recognized the majority of them; wizards and witches of long standing families one and all, most of them respectable although few without dark histories. In the back corner of the room, he couldn't help but noticed two of the not-so respectable members; Nelson seemed somewhat curious but otherwise indifferent to his presence, while Amadeus seemed wary and quite unnerved for some reason.

"So, what do you think?" Abraxus asked him cheerfully. "More than you imagined?"

"There are a lot of galleons walking around this room," Sirius commented.

"Is it all that surprising? We are collectors, after all, and it takes a great deal of money to maintain them," Abraxus explained.

"Yes, I can see that. Your collection hall is quite extensive," Sirius agreed. Abraxus beamed with pride. "It must have taken a lot of time and dedication to build."

"And scrollwork," Abraxus agreed. "You wouldn't believe the sort of scrollwork the Ministry makes you keep for every little artifact, no matter how insignificant."

"That's the Ministry's way," said Norman Balmweed, stepping over. "They're so obsessed with controlling everything that they end up controlling nothing."

"That's government for you," Sirius chuckled.

"Yes, it is, and their vaults are bulging with forgotten artifacts. Not a year goes by that something doesn't go missing from that vault," Norman said.

"I have noticed that as well," Sirius agreed. "Harry and Thomas both think it might be an inside job."

"Regardless of who it is, the fact remains that the Ministry has proven to be an unsafe place to keep priceless artifacts," Norman concluded.

"That is true, but then again, there aren't truly any safe places when it comes to things like that, are there? No matter what lengths we go through to protect something, there is always the possibility that someone out there will stop at nothing until they get it. It's happened time and time again…the Diamonds, the Cauldron, and even the Stone when Harry went after it. You cannot safeguard anything entirely. And what about old heirloom items such at the Craw ring and the Ladle? What if something like that was simply passed down into the wrong hands… passed to someone deciding to use it for evil purposes? There are really no clear solutions, Norman, on how to protect them all."

"That may be but there must be some better way than how the Ministry has been handling it," Norman said.

"Probably true," Sirius admitted, and then noticed that one of the butlers has slipped up beside them.

"Your pardon, good wizards. Sir, there are a pair of unexpected visitors at the door who want to join the party. I tried to explain that it was by invitation only, but Auror Potter didn't listen," the butler explained.

"Auror Potter?" Abraxus repeated in surprise. "What the devil is he doing –"

"Standing in the doorway," Sirius finished, waving to Harry and Alex. They were both wearing formal wizard attire, but he could tell from Harry's unkempt hair and Alex's lack of makeup that they hadn't spent time on last minute details.

"What are you doing here?" Harry demanded out of the blue.

"I beg your pardon," Abraxus swiftly intervened, walking swiftly over to the door while most of his other guests seemed more interested in moving away from the area. "This a private affair, and I'm afraid that only members of the Society are invited."

"Then what is Sirius doing here?" Harry asked.

"He is an honored guest whom I personally invited, not that it's any of your business," Abraxus said in a huff.

"I'm even thinking about joining," Sirius put in. Harry gazed at him fixedly for a moment.

"Don't you think you're taking this grudge with Severus a bit too far?" Harry asked bluntly.

"This has nothing to do with him, Harry. I simply think they're right is all," Sirius said.

"Right," Harry said, not believing it for an instant.

"Did Anna send you here to track me down?" Sirius asked.

"No, we're here on business, actually…"

"Must you always be here on business?" Abraxus asked critically.

"It isn't as if I'm ever invited over, is it?" Harry asked. Abraxus blinked and suddenly looked embarrassed.

"Very well. You are welcome to stay, provided that you do not harass my guests," Abraxus said.

"Thank you," Harry said. Alex gazed at him questioningly. "We'll behave ourselves. It isn't like we came to arrest anyone or anything. We were simply checking up on things."

"As you can plainly see, we are simply having a festive occasion away from any vampires or anything else you might be troubled about," Abraxus said.

"Isn't Foncé one of your members?" Alex asked daringly, pointedly taking a glass of wine off a tray floating by.

"The Marquis du Foncé was never a full member so much as a friend of the club," Abraxus said defensively. "And as Potter could have told you, Foncé has gone to his northern properties until the end of the war. Just how long do you expect this war to last, Auror Potter?"

"I expect it'll last until Rafe is dead," Harry said evenly.

"Then shouldn't you be working organizing a task force to accomplish that or something instead of troubling us tonight? I'm sure a world renowned Auror such as yourself should be capable of something like that," Abraxus said.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Harry said dryly.

"Of course, Harry. I have every confidence in you as a person. I simply don't have any confidence in the Ministry," Abraxus said. "I don't see Malfoy doing much other than barricading himself in and expecting the RBF to do his dirty work for him."

"The Ministry is doing everything it can, Mr. Coventry," Alex said. "It's just not as easy as you seem to think, considering how far the clan's influence stretches. Rafe could be hiding practically anywhere in Europe."

"Why don't you get that Minister of Mysteries to go find him? After all, it's his fault we're in this mess in the first place," Norman suggested.

"No one in the Ministry believes that, Mr. Balmweed," Harry said.

"But you could use the Minister as bait," Abraxus put in. "Everyone knows that the Donnacht Clan wants vengeance for the deaths of those vampires before all of this started. Simply let it slip who the Minister is and Rafe is bound to come after him."

"There's no way Draco would ever allow that," Harry said, shaking his head.

"And why not? It isn't as if you even have to tell the truth about it. You could point a finger at whomever you like and say that they're the Minister," Abraxus said. Harry and Alex stared at him.

"Wow, that's quite brilliant, actually. I didn't know you had it in you," Harry said with a stunned expression on his face.

"Thank you, Harry, but I am rather disappointed that you didn't think of it yourself. Sometimes I wonder if you aren't too honest for you position as head of the Auror Department," Abraxus said bluntly. "Aurelius was a better choice, I think."

"Bite your tongue, Abraxus," Nelson said with distaste. Harry and Alex turned to see he had come up behind them. "The last thing we need is another Snape in any sort of position of power. They let it go to their heads, present company accepted."

"Thank you, but I don't think I'm any different," Alex admitted proudly.

"Are you certain they hadn't thought of your idea already, Abraxus? Sometimes I wonder if they aren't intentionally prolonging the war," Norman said.

"If anyone is prolonging the war, it isn't the Ministry," Alex said. "We're not the ones profiting from it, after all. I have heard that the Magic Mirror Company is doing well, however. Isn't that right, Lord Nelson?"

"So it is, although if you meant to apply that it is my company, it isn't. I simply acquired it on behalf of Malfoy Industries in hopes of liquidating it for a profit. It was sheer luck that saved it, nothing more," Nelson explained smoothly.

"And what about your charms company that are making vampire detectors and stakes by the dozens?" Alex asked.

"I am simply doing my part by providing the public with what it requires," Nelson explained with a cold, thin, smile. "My company is far from the only one making adjustments to service those affected by this conflict, as is our duty. But everyone knows that I am a businessman first and foremost. Politics is only of interest to me when it affects my work. I have little interest in how long the war lasts or even who wins it; I'll simply adapt with the times. Adaptation is, after all, the true measure of longevity in a business… a longevity that can last far after we are gone, Stone or no Stone. Profit is forever."

"Economy doesn't exist without people," Alex said.

"True, but then vampires have an economy as well," Nelson said with a shrug. "They simply have a different type of currency, so to speak."

"Now, Byron, let's not take this discussion to such dark places," Abraxus insisted. "This is supposed to be a festive occasion after all. Can't we toss the discussion of politics aside for just a moment? Ah, there is my son and daughter. Let me get them over here to say hello," he said, gesturing to them. Don pretended to ignore it until Lynn came up behind them and said a word that made both he and Beth move reluctantly over to the group their father was standing in. "You remember Donald and Elizabeth, of course. They're doing brilliantly this year in school, aren't you?"

"I'd be at the top of my studies if it weren't for that nonsense Muggle class we're forced to take," Don complained. "I don't see why business students have to take so much of it."

"Probably because it is easier to make money in their world than it is in ours, which is why I still own several Muggle banks and an accounting firm," Nelson said.

"You have a Muggle title that makes that easier to deal with them, and I have no plan to do anything except help my father with his business," Don said, Abraxus beaming at that. "Besides, there's very little material in Muggle class about getting Muggles to buy stuff from you, it's all sorts of rubbish about how equal we all are." Nelson grimaced at that.

"It's a tolerance course," Sirius explained.

"It's rubbish," said Kris Atchison, who had stepped over with his drink. "The boy is right, there's no point in their being subjected to that silliness after the first year course. I had my Dirk taken out of that class, and I dare anyone to not let him graduate because of it."

"Perhaps you can have me taken out of Muggle Studies as well, Father," Don suggested.

"All right, Donald, at least I'm willing to consider it," Abraxus decided.

"Well, I hope you make up your mind soon before I end up falling in love with a Muggle girl too," Donald said. Atchison suddenly turned as white as a sheet.

"Don't be silly, Donald," Abraxus said. "Why don't the two of you run along, now?"

"What girl?" Atchison demanded.

"I don't know, really, it's one of those wretched Havener girls. Those Haveners _really_ don't know their own place," Don said. Atchison stared at him icily for a moment before he suddenly turned and stormed for the doors. "Good night, Father."

"Good night, Don, Good night, Beth," Abraxus said. Don walked out of the parlor with a smug grin on his face, while Beth simply gazed at him questioningly and followed him out.

"Rotten little beast, isn't he?" Harry murmured under his breath to Alex, who watched them leave distractedly. "I wonder how much trouble he just caused?"

"Maybe he just did Atchison's son a favor. It isn't always easy being married to a Muggle, you know," Alex replied quietly. Harry gazed at her searchingly.

"Since when have you ever thought so?" Harry asked, but the sound of a growling dragon distracted him and he didn't press for an answer.

"Did you find whatever it was that you were looking for in that tinker shop?" Abraxus was asking Amadeus, who had walked up to speak with him. But Amadeus shook his head.

"No, I didn't. To be honest, there wasn't all that much to look at," Amadeus admitted.

"I have the same exact problem myself anytime I go in there," Abraxus said. "And yet I hear of others I know that come out of there with the most extraordinary things."

"I've only been in the shop once, myself. I didn't find anything either, although my granddaughter had better luck," Norman said. "But I'll admit that I don't know what the fuss is all about. It's nothing more than a junk shop."

"Well, I know sometimes people do get lucky finding things in there, and I had a friend whose child was selling certificates. If it hadn't been for the fact it was to benefit the school, I wouldn't have bought any certificates at all, but I do try to do my part," Abraxus explained. "I bought enough to cover all my society friends for Christmas."

Suddenly there was a faint sound similar to rolling thunder in the distance.

"That's an odd noise, considering it's the middle of winter," Norman said with a frown.

"Do you think it's the Four Horsemen?' Alex asked, glancing at Harry.

"Don't be ridiculous, of course it isn't. They wouldn't bother _us,_ why would they?" Abraxus said.

"How can you be so sure?" Harry asked, gazing at him fixedly. But Sirius and Alex hurried over to the windows, opening one and peering outside.

"Look up there. Do you see that?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, I think it's the fire trails of the four horses. It looks like they're heading towards London," Alex said. Harry turned and gazed at Nelson, but Nelson wasn't turned in his direction. He didn't miss the fact that Amadeus, Abraxus and Norman were all glancing quizzically at him as well.

"Come on, Alex, it seems we have other work to do. Good night, Sirius. Don't get in over your head," Harry said as he walked past him.

"I've had experience getting in over my head since well before you were born," Sirius reminded him before walking over to join Jeffers and his friends.

"Does it bother you that the majority of them wasn't one bit alarmed about the Horsemen passing?" Alex asked quietly as they walked into the foyer.

"Yes, yes it does," Harry said, stepping out of the house and Disapparating.

* * *

Jennifer woke up alone in a dark bedroom, feeling a strange shiver as if waking up from a disturbing dream despite the fact she hadn't dreamed at all. She got up and went into the next room, careful not to step on Rasputin's tail as she checked on Quintin. Reassured, she carefully patted Descartes on the head before slipping out the door. She was about to turn down the hall towards the library when she heard the sound of somewhat scratchy music coming from the basement and went that way instead. Another shiver went through her as she went down the stairs, the closed-in feeling even heavier than usual. Unable to contain it completely, she found herself sitting down on the steps, leaning over a bit to see Severus working near the potion oven.

"Good morning. Since when do you listen to the wireless? And isn't it early?" Jennifer asked. Severus glanced up.

"I usually get up at this hour," Severus pointed out.

"Not on holiday," Jennifer said.

"I've been listening to the war reports," Severus explained. "I woke up feeling a bit off and decided to see what was going on. Apparently there's been a rather nasty skirmish on the other side of town; my guess would be near Draco's home from what they've said and not said on the wireless."

"Oh, no! I hope they're all right," Jennifer said.

"Draco has his house heavily guarded and they'd have spotted something like that at once. I am certain they were probably whisked away to the war office the moment things broke out. The war is at an impasse now. The vampires no longer have the element of surprise, nor is it as easy for them to subdue people who are wary and on their guard. All they can do is unnerve people and launch their fear attacks. Most of their victims now are members of the broom force or Muggles who wander in at the wrong place and wrong time," Severus said. "It has become a chess game; whoever captures the other side's king wins, only on our side it is the Minister of Mysteries they're after."

"With the horseman in the middle, hoping that they both fall," Jennifer said.

"Yes," Severus said thoughtfully, putting down the beaker in his hand. "Jennifer, there's something I should probably tell you about… something I worked out only just this morning that is bound to influence how we handle this situation."

"In what way?" Jennifer asked, but then paused when she heard a knock on the front door. "Rather early for visitors, isn't it?"

"Yes," Severus said, glancing at his watch. "But dawn will soon be breaking. Let me go up and see who it is… watch my potions, will you? They have to be stirred, you know."

"Just be glad I know that you possibly couldn't have planned that," Jennifer said dryly, taking over potions. "But do hurry, it is stifling down here."

"Crack open the window if you must," Severus suggested as he went up the stairs. He paused in the hallway to listen for a moment, and then realized the sound he had heard was at the front of the house instead of from the bedroom. He peered up the stairs, spotting the boy on the landing. "What are you doing up?"

"I had a nightmare and heard a strange knocking noise. Do you suppose there are such things as vampire sharks?" Leu asked. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Go back to bed, Llewellyn, it's nearly dawn. Don't come back down until you're called for breakfast… and don't be surprised when I give you some extra reading," Severus warned, going for the door.

"Yes, sir," Leu said, ruefully going back upstairs.

Shaking his head, Severus opened it to see Harry standing there with an apologetic expression on his face.

"Sorry I woke you, Severus…"

"You didn't, I was simply delayed on my way to the door as tends to happen in this house. Jennifer and I were downstairs," Severus explained in a low voice, leading him towards the basement.

"Good morning, Harry," Jennifer said when she saw him. "What happened to your hand? How about some salve? Should I make some coffee?"

"Yes to the salve and no to the coffee, I can't stay long," Harry said, unwrapping his hand. "Just a bit of a friendly fire accident there as we were giving chase. We were trying to tail one of the bats and I guess they weren't expecting me to follow quite so close."

"A vampire bat is no Snitch, Potter, he isn't likely to lead you anywhere with you on his tail like that," Severus said, handing Jennifer the salve. "Was anyone else injured?"

"A few were, but I don't think anyone was taken this time," Harry said with a sigh. "They haven't been picky on who they keep lately. Every time there's a skirmish, there are more of them. We can't say we're imagining it anymore. For every one I've destroyed, two seem to appear. All the sudden these endless 'pointless' skirmishes no longer seem so pointless. They have an unlimited supply of soldiers. We don't."

"You came here this early to tell me that?" Severus asked flatly.

"No, I'm rambling, actually. It's about something else," Harry said. "It's about the Four Horsemen. They're getting help."

"Help?" Severus squinted. "Explain."

"Alex and I decided to crash Coventry's Yule party last night because we suspected that Nelson might be one of the four," Harry said. "The guests were mostly members of that Artifacts society of his…"

"Equinox," Severus growled.

"Yes, well, some of the things they said… actually, the way they said it made me think they were at least sympathetic. It's too bad Rel hadn't been with us. I think it would have approved rather interesting."

"I can't believe it," Jennifer said, Harry glancing at her quizzically. "Harry, Don and Beth were two of the students in the fields the day the plague was cast. There is no way that Abraxus would support anything that would put them in such danger, that much I am quite certain of."

"He's also a bit gullible," Harry said.

"A bit?" Severus interrupted dryly.

"Someone probably convinced him that his children weren't ever in any real danger because they knew that Jennifer was capable of stopping it. And the fact that the Stone's existence came out during all of that also probably played a factor," Harry said.

"Isn't Jeffers a member of Equinox as well?" Severus said angrily.

"Well… yeah…"

"Is Sirius aware that they are attempting to use him, egging on this case of his?" Severus growled.

"Well… yeah, I think so," Harry said, quite reluctant to say any more considering the piercing look he was getting. "He was at the party as well, actually."

"That idiot!"

"Severus, please!" Jennifer intervened, putting a hand on his arm. "If you confront him, he'll only fight you harder right now. Don't escalate this into something you're both regret."

"I'm already regretting it!" he snapped.

"She's right," Harry said evenly. "We don't need the two of you going at it right now. I'm much more concerned about the fact that we're not sure who is helping and how much they are helping, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the things that have gone missing from Artifacts lately have been some of their members. In fact, I think it was a member of the society who let the vampires into the Ministry during the invasion."

"Why, it was Plumeria!" Jennifer said in realization.

"Yes, I think so, and if I'm not mistaken she was prepared well beforehand to blockade herself in. She's also gotten dangerously close to finding out who the Minister of Mysteries is, and right now I think that'd be a death sentence."

"Yes, yes, it would be," Severus murmured. "It would appear you have your work cut out for you."

"Another working holiday to be sure," Harry agreed, rewrapping his hand. "Considering how my first of Yule went, I'm not looking forward to seeing what Christmas will be like this year."


	32. Twelve Zombies Lurching

Chapter Thirty-Two

Twelve Zombies Lurching

'Twas the night before Christmas; and the mood inside the Willowby home soon became hostile. The moment Sirius had stepped through the door, Severus was there to confront him, so it wasn't long before verbal insults were being thrown back and forth between them. Nothing that Jennifer or Anna said seemed to abate it, and when Dumbledore and Minerva decided that their interests were best served getting to know the children a bit better rather than get involved, it was Corey who ended up stepping in and firmly directing them to different corners of the room. By that time, Severus had lost all desire to be sociable, so the moment after Natalie had opened her gift from Jennifer and himself, he slipped out the door to cool down with a brisk walk.

That walk inevitably brought him to the door of the tinker shop, where despite the curfew it appeared to be filled with warm light. On the door the sign read; "Emergency Entrance Only." Severus frowned at the sign and then peered inside to see Toby leaning over the counter talking to a lovely auburn haired woman. She sat on the stool next to the counter with her hair hanging down so that he couldn't see her face from that angle. He decided it would be best to wait a bit before going in, so he stood next to the shop and dusted off snow from the windowsills. Past where there brick wall would be two RBF recruits wandered by on patrol, apparently talking about the strange lighting that the Haveners had put up for the holidays. After a few moments, he looked back to see Toby with his hand over the top of the jar to keep her from putting anything in it and an open hand, making a gesture as he said something to her with a smile. Deciding that probably meant they were about finished, Severus tested the handle and opened the door when it gave.

"Ah, good evening, Severus. Are you certain this is an emergency?" Toby teased. The immediately girl jumped up, looking uncomfortable. "Going, then? Do you need directions on how to get there, my dear?"

"No, I think I can find it easily enough. I just…"

"Now, don't worry about imposing, there is no reason, I assure you. He will be delighted to see you at his door. Not a word need even be spoken," Toby said.

"I'll just tell him you sent me," the girl decided.

"That's right. I'm sure that will do the trick," Toby humored her with a wink. "Off you go straight away, so I can deal with this intruder."

"Intruder?" Severus repeated, squinting at him.

"Well, you certainly didn't come here to buy anything, did you?" Toby said. Severus opened the door for the girl, who kept her head turned away from him timidly as she hurried out, Disapparating the moment she was clear of the shop. "Pretty girl, isn't she?"

"A bit young, don't you think?" Severus said disapprovingly, walking up to the counter.

"Everyone is a bit young compared to me," Toby admitted with a chuckle. "If I had let that stop me, I'd have never gotten married. And how have you been? I would have expected you in here the moment I arrived, and yet here you are not even bothering to call until your brother-in-law got on your nerves just now."

"How do you know that is what happened?" Severus said irritably. "Getting our memory back, are we?"

"No, simple deduction based on what I've learned from Ambrose over what's been going on since I was away. A lot, it would seem… vampire wars, mysterious horsemen, or perhaps not so mysterious. Greed, Power, and Vengeance, that's what it's all been about," Toby summarized. After thinking about it a moment, he chuckled softly. "Then again, I suppose that's what it's always about, isn't it? The evils of mankind are so predictable in some ways… if you think about it, the motives for wrongdoing can be broken down into very basic reasons, as I'm sure you've noticed reading mystery novels as you do. And yet… it is the 'why' that we dwell on… it's the wondering 'why' that keeps us up at night when something terrible happens to those we care about. I find most mystery novels to fall short in this regard; the 'why' of the matter is practically always summed up in two paragraphs taking up half of the last page of the book."

"Yes, although sometimes it is enough," Severus said, taking a seat.

"But many times it isn't," Toby said.

"True, although I don't see where this is going," Severus admitted.

"I suppose my point is that finding out who is doing it is only part of the problem. The why is important as well," Toby said.

"And finding out what they are capable of doing," Severus said.

"They are capable of doing anything you can do, had you such evil purposes in mind. Your knowledge extends far past that of common modern knowledge already; not only because of what I have taught you, but because your wife also taught you every spell she knew when she was still the Keeper."

"Many spells have changed since Foncé learned magic," Severus reminded him.

"Yes, spells have changed, but that doesn't make you any less capable of casting them," Toby said. "Even the most benign of spells can be misused… in fact, the more we use them, the more we take for granted that there is no way to abuse them. Don't let your guard down on this one, Severus, not for an instant."

"By that, it sounds as if you have some idea what spell they might abuse but you're not willing to tell me," Severus said flatly.

"I'm so sorry, Severus, but your aunt would be breathing down my neck in no time if I interfered in this one. Did you know that your aunt was back, by the way?" Toby asked, pouring out tea.

"Yes."

"Then I'm sure you understand," Toby said. "Besides, I have my own problems here at the moment. Those gift certificates that Ambrose sold are allowing all sorts of rubbish in my shop that normally I wouldn't allow and I have been at wit's end keeping one step ahead of them. I've been pulling artifacts off the shelves as quick as they appear… although on the bright side, I have found one or two things I thought I had lost over the years."

"Such as?"

"Now, Severus, you know better than to ask such questions when I'm rambling, since I'm not likely to do anything but parry them. I really ought to be getting home, considering the curfew is in effect and it is Christmas Eve, after all. Oh, and would you kindly tell Aurelius that she is at Harry's, please?"

"Who?"

"That part doesn't really concern you, Severus. Simply tell him that I sent her along to Harry's, and I'm sure he'll understand," Toby said. "Have a good Christmas, but mind what I've said."

"I'm not sure that you really said much of anything," Severus said with annoyance.

"That's just as well," Toby decided, showing him outside. "And don't forget to invite Albus to tea, Severus, he actually came because he wanted to visit you, you know."

Severus watched Toby walk down the street, squinting at the long shadow trailing him that didn't seem to match the person it belonged to. Shaking his head, Severus reluctantly turned back towards Corey's house, both dreading it and yet wanting to get back at the same time. He didn't regret a single word he had said to Sirius in the least, but he did find himself regretting the fact that he had done so in front of the entire family and their guests. He slipped back in as silently as possible to find that everyone had settled into quiet conversation. Most of the children had gone down to the basement to play, while the adults nursed cups of tea or glasses of wine. Sirius and Anna had gone as had Alex and Thomas, it seemed. Only Quintin seemed active, sitting on Dumbledore's lap and surveying everyone with interest, apparently too worked up from the excitement to sleep.

"It is ironic, perhaps, that one of the reasons I decided to return this year was to get away from the war for a while, and yet now I find out that things aren't that much more peaceful here," Albus said somberly. "Curfews, soldiers patrolling the streets, and fear hanging in the air."

"The only fear hanging in the air is magically produced by those vampires," Corey protested. "No one in this town is afraid of them; there isn't a family here that doesn't know what to do about an attack. But I do worry about some of the Muggle farmers adjacent to us."

"What have they been told?" Albus asked.

"Well, the ministry has been telling them there's a colony of rabid bats and advised them to stay indoors at night," Corey explained evenly. "I've been telling them they're vampires."

"Why, Corey!" Jennifer said with surprise.

"Muggles have a general understanding of vampires, Mom. They may not completely believe me when I tell them the truth, but the locals have grown suspicious enough of some of the things that happen in this area that they won't discount it entirely. I don't care if it gets me into trouble or not. What matters is it might save lives," Corey said, and then glanced over at Albus who was smiling at him enigmatically. "Tell me you wouldn't have done the same."

"Only you could have done it, Corey," Albus assured him, then tilted his head to get Quintin to look at him again. "Jennifer, I'm not sure that I've told you this, but I think you have impeccable taste when it comes to children."

"Thank you," Jennifer replied dryly. "If only they weren't so determined to give me grey hairs with their stunts."

"Oh, they'll never stop doing that," Albus said with amusement, then happened to glance into the doorway. "Decided to come and be civil after all, did you, Severus?"

"He had it coming," Severus grumbled, well aware that everyone was glancing passed him to give each other knowing looks. "I have enough to concern myself with right now, I shouldn't have to concern myself with a silly lawsuit from my own brother-in-law. My life has been nothing but mayhem ever since the Stone's existence became public."

"I am not surprised. High time you lost it or had it destroyed again I think," Albus advised.

"No one would believe it for an instant," Severus said.

"Not believe the Headmaster of Hogwarts? What have you been up to that destroys that sort of integrity?" Albus said.

"I believe the problem lies in the fact that most of the Council had him as a teacher and remembers the experience vividly," Alicia pointed out.

"Oh! Well I suppose that'll be remedied in thirty or forty years or so," Albus decided, ignoring the dirty look Severus gave him.

"In the meantime, I happen to know a basement full of children waiting to hear you reading out of the family storybook. They said they won't let Leu go home until he's heard you recite at least one of them since he hasn't heard one before. I expect they've tied him up and hung him up somewhere by now," Corey confided.

"That story sounds like fun, doesn't it? Quintin and I would like to hear that as well," Albus declared.

"I'd never miss one of those stories," Minerva agreed. "Perhaps they can find one we haven't heard yet."

"Very well! I suppose we had better reassemble them up here then," Severus said with such an exaggerated exasperation that it was hard to take it completely seriously. "By they way, Aurelius, I was supposed to give you a message, I had almost forgotten."

"Oh?" Aurelius asked, looking up from where he and Ginger were sitting on chairs borrowed from the kitchen.

"Toby asked me to tell you that 'she' is at Harry's… whomever 'she' is," Severus said.

"Really?" Aurelius said with surprise.

"Considering I'm not sure what he was talking about, I can hardly confirm it," Severus said.

"I have to go," Aurelius decided, kissing Ginger on the cheek. "Sorry."

"Just don't be out all night… oh, never mind. Just be back in time to head to my mother's tomorrow," Ginger said in resignation.

"Dawn at the latest," Aurelius promised, hurrying out the front door.

Severus gazed at Ginger thoughtfully, wondering if perhaps she had a better idea of what was going on. But before he could form a tactful question, there was a thunder of many footsteps and a book thrust in his face.

With two steps and a pop Aurelius was at Harry's door, only vaguely aware of the sound of carolers in the background. He knocked quietly but immediately heard footsteps. Harry opened the door with a concerned expression that had nothing to do with his unexpected houseguest.

"Have I been missing something?" Aurelius asked in alarm, trying to read through the various thoughts in Harry's expression as he was shown inside. "You could have contacted me."

"Most of it has happened in the last hour," Harry explained with a sigh. "Laura didn't show up at Moony's for dinner. I got a flame from them just moments after Jeanette showed up at my door, so I just sent Jamie to go find her. Tonks is at the office, but everyone else is off visiting their families. Can you stay here and talk to her and see if you can get in touch with Lunette so I can go after them?"

"You want me to stay?" Aurelius frowned.

"I can't Truthseek for you, Rel. You need to get as much information from her as possible before we whisk her out of here. I don't need to explain to you that the longer she stays, the more danger she's in," Harry said.

"I know, I've got it," Aurelius agreed. "I don't suppose there's any way we can keep the little prick from picking up a new girlfriend?"

"Find out something we can arrest him for," Harry suggested. "There are some trays out in the kitchen if you want anything."

"Thanks, good luck," Aurelius said with a sigh.

"You as well," Harry said, pulling on his cloak and hurrying out into the snow.

* * *

It was dark in the Ardennes; and although the ground was as hard as stone, there was snow. In a low valley hidden in the northern forests of Luxembourg far west of their normal hollow, the elders of the Donnacht Clan met. Bells sounded in the distance, echoing off the mountains in an eerie, distorted melody. They all listened for a moment, some hissing and some with looking around with glistening eyes, attempting to discern its meaning and if were any threat to them.

"It is simply a calling to the mass, a part of their Christian rituals," Namur explained quietly. "They will have their guard down tonight. Perhaps we should take advantage."

"Perhaps we should attack the school while there are few around that can protect it," Sibyl immediately suggested.

"It is the Minister I want," Rafe said, baring his fangs.

"Yes, Father Reverent," Sibyl said dutifully, before a sinister smile crept across her face. "Perhaps the former Minister would have some ideas."

"Don't bother troubling yourself," came a voice out of the darkness. Rafe turned and saw two figures slipping out of the shadows, Foncé and an entranced young woman who looked pale but otherwise untouched. "I have already laid claim to the former Minister of Mysteries and he has no idea who the current Minister is. In fact, he is searching to find out who the minister is himself."

"That I can believe," Sibyl said quietly. "The girl looks familiar to me."

"Another of his runaways, more than likely," Rafe said distastefully.

"No, this one is an Auror," Foncé said, a soft murmur of interest going up among the other elders. "One who was assigned to keep an eye on me, and perhaps to report me if she caught me on British soil. I can assure you that her presence will be missed."

"What is the girl's name?" Sibyl asked.

"Laura Lupin, I believe."

"Ah! The daughter of the werewolf!" Sibyl shrieked gleefully, causing another murmur to rise up.

"You were unwise to bring her here. He will track her down by scent and it will lead him straight to us," one of the others snapped.

"He would need a starting point and he couldn't possibly know where we are," Foncé protested. "I was told I took too little risks when choosing my tribute. Here is proof that I am sincere in correcting that. There is one problem, however…" he added when Rafe came to take a better look at her. He folded back her collar, showing the necklace underneath.

"Wulfenite," Namur hissed. "Order her to take it off."

"I already tried that, but there is some sort of condition on the necklace that is blocking her from doing so and a few other charms I have yet to identify," Foncé explained.

"It may protect her neck, but it does not protect her life," Rafe said. "We will simply slice her in two and get what sustenance we need that way, but first we must see if she knows anything valuable."

"Yes, Father Revenant," Foncé said respectfully, taking out a labeled bottle of clear liquid. He put it to her mouth and after a sip she reacted, the vinegar making her cough and spit out what remained. Her eyes suddenly looked wide awake as she looked around in surprise at the dark, unfamiliar forest.

"Ah," Laura said at last. "Well, at least it isn't quite as cold here. My, what nice bright eyes you all have!"

"What is your name?" Rafe asked.

"Lisa Wolfe."

"I would answer truthfully if I were you, Laura," Foncé advised in her ear. Laura grimaced, but then held her chin up.

"Very well, I'm Laura Lupin," she admitted.

"And your work?" Rafe asked.

"Auror in training, although I'd rather have been a teacher… now more than ever," she added. "Would you care to negotiate a peace treaty? I'd be willing to take a message back for you."

"There is only one way to get a peace treaty. Tell us who the Minister of Mysteries is," Rafe said.

"I have no idea," Laura admitted, shaking her head. "They don't tell just anyone, you know. Only Draco Malfoy and perhaps a couple of his closest assistants know."

"You work at the Ministry, perhaps you have some ideas as to whom it might be," Rafe coaxed. Laura thought about it a moment.

"Harry Potter is capable of doing that job," Laura said resolutely.

"Potter has definitely been a problem for us, but he cannot be in two places at once," Rafe said.

"He could with a Time-Turner," Laura theorized.

"You are not improving your position here," Foncé warned.

"Perhaps it's Severus Snape," Laura suggested.

"She is simply naming off people that she believes might be able to defend themselves against us," Foncé said, frowning at her with disapproval. "We were warned that something like this might happen. I heard Harry and some others talking about it at Yule. They are planning to substitute the Minister with someone else to try and bait us."

"I know who it could be," Laura said, encouraged by their angry, dubious glares. "My father! But I doubt he'd be willing to see you for a couple more days," she added, attempting to see the sky past the forest canopy. "Then again, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it is tonight… I really can't tell from here. I can find out, though."

Before they could stop her, Laura cupped her hands over her mouth and let out a loud howl. It was a very convincing howl; at least it was before Laura had her hand wrenched back.

"What language was that? It wasn't black wolf," Rafe demanded.

"It wasn't a language at all, really. I was just howling in case my father was around," Laura said. Just then, there was another howl echoing in the distance that made the others turn.

"Go find the source," Rafe ordered with a hiss, and two of the other vampires changed to wolves and hurried into the darkness.

"I guess there must be a full moon after all. I suppose I'll be changing myself at any second," Laura said.

"She is lying again. She is no werewolf," Foncé said, but Rafe gazed at her uncertainly.

"It is coming now. I feel it starting," Laura warned seriously. Immediately the vampires took a wary step backwards when they noticed that her face was starting to change.

"Kill her! Kill her now while it is still easy for us to kill her!" Rafe ordered, taking out his dagger. But he soon realized it was too late as she morphed, growing bulkier and furrier and greener… greener?

Before they could realize their mistake, the shaggy green sheep dog managed to break out of Foncé's grip, bolting off into the forest.

"She is no werewolf!" Rafe screamed. "Find her and kill her!"

The Cu Sith never hesitated getting as much of a head start as she could. In the darkness the dog's odd coloring someone seemed to lend to its not being seen, even by the superior night vision of the elders. The only sign of her passing was a rustle from the brush, but it was hard for them to discern what might have been her and what might have been the passing of the vampires in wolf form that were spreading out to search for her. The dog reached a steep hillside and somehow managed to scramble up, finally spotting a familiar figure holding a pendant similar to the one that Laura was wearing.

"There you are! Have you been bound against Apparating?" Jamie asked, helping her up as she took her normal form.

"Yes, I think so…"

"Great! It's all right; I have a plan. We need to head to the local church… I have help waiting there."

"Church! Are you insane? It's going to be full of Muggles! We're not going to try something religious to get rid of them, are we?" Laura asked in alarm.

"No, no, don't be silly, we have a better idea," Jamie explained.

"We?"

"Where there's a country church, there's a country graveyard," Jamie went on. "Come on, we must hurry! But make sure they can still follow us!"

"What!" Laura exclaimed in confusion, but then followed at her insistence.

The nearest town was indeed small; and practically everyone who lived in it was in there now. It must be Christmas, Laura realized, but she couldn't afford more than a passing thought. Fear had washed over her; fear meant to drive her unthinkingly back into the forest. That they were going to an unlit graveyard to escape it was nothing short of irony, and Laura couldn't help but wonder more and more if there was any sane thinking behind whatever plan Jamie had cooked up.

"I think I might be able to Apparate now," Laura suggested hopefully as they ran into the gate. "Perhaps I should try it."

"No way, not when we've managed to get here in one piece. We'll miss all the fun," Jamie protested. "You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this moment! Right this way."

"I just wish I knew what you were talking about," Laura protested.

As they approached the middle of the graveyard, Laura couldn't help but slow when she noticed a tall figure wrapped in a black cape standing on one of the larger grave markers. As they approached, the gravestone began to glow, revealing a figure so pale and eyes so strange that had it not been for the white hair, she would have mistaken him for a Donnacht.

"Don't worry, he's with me," Jamie said. "I couldn't find an Auror partner for the evening and you know Dad's rules, so I figured he'd do."

"Partner?" Laura repeated skeptically.

"Ssh, they are coming," the man said softly. "You must come stand by me."

Jamie quickly moved to stand next to the stone and Laura followed suit, both feeling shivers down their spines as the vampires grew closer. But the man above them seemed quite unaffected, and was looking into the darkness as if he could see quite clearly.

"Is he a vampire from a different clan?" Laura whispered to Jamie, who looked quite amused by the question. The man leaned down to them.

"Ignore the sensation, and do not be startled by what you might see. There is nothing to fear in a graveyard provided you stay next to me," the man reassured them before standing again. Laura didn't feel so reassured, not when she didn't know what was going on. Jamie, on the other hand, looked far from scared. Actually, she was quite gleefully excited.

"Good evening," the man said in a calm voice as the shadows grew nearer. "This graveyard is under my control at the moment, and therefore you are trespassing. You may parlay with us if you like, but these girls came into my territory by their own free will and therefore are under my protection."

"Foolish mortal, a graveyard belongs to no one. Not a patch of earth exists on this planet that something has not died upon it," Rafe said.

"That is quite true," the man said. "But remains that once housed human souls are still very prevalent here, gathered as they have been in reverence to the memory of those that lived in them. I can feel their bones under us, and lower still, the tombs of their ancestors that died here from an ancient battle. Shall we battle here again tonight? It would not go well for you."

"Who is this man?" Rafe hissed. "He's obviously British."

"I do not recognize him, Father Reverent," Sibyl admitted. "But he is fairly young, and I left the school so many years ago."

"He is no member of any of the prominent wizard families. I would have noticed an albino in the mix," Foncé said.

"Perhaps he isn't a wizard at all," Rafe said, and then turned back towards the cloaked man. "That woman has already been claimed by one of my children, and the other is now forfeit for attempting to rescue her. Regardless who you are, you have no claim to them."

"You are mistaken," the man said. "The dead have no claim on those who are living. The souls pass on, and those left behind continue in whatever way they wish, whether they chose to honor the dead or not. Only the living can have any claim to death; in a perfect world, they would only claim to their own. But it is not a perfect world. If it were, you would not exist. Nor would I," he admitted, and then raised his hands.

Immediately the ground began to shake violently, and Laura found herself having to grab onto the stone to keep from falling. The smell of earth and a heavy mustiness wafted up around her, followed by hideously strong odor coming from the far side by the entrance. Laura pinched her nose and looked around wide-eyed as corpses pulled themselves out of the broken earth; some only skeletons while others still had infested remains with long fingernails and strangely hollow eyes. Jamie scrunched her nose and flipped out her wand just long enough to cast a fresh air spell, completely unsurprised and unfazed by what had just happened. Several zombies closed in around the gate to prevent entry, while the others gathered around the base of the stone looking outward, completely blocking Laura's view.

"Necromancer!" Rafe hissed.

"But the Ministry outlawed it centuries ago! The Aurors deported or killed any who didn't comply, it has not been seen in the country for years," Sibyl said.

"The line of Owain has always been sheltered from the whims of modern wizardry," the Necromancer explained evenly. "I am the Lord Moor. This graveyard is under my control, and you are trespassing. Speak with us if you will, but you will not gain entry. Should you try, I'll simply call more up until they outnumber you. Your powers of manipulation and fear only work on the living and will not find them easy to move."

"I have but a token number of children with me at the moment. What lies beneath the surface would not be enough to stop the Donnacht Clan should I chose to call them," Rafe said.

"Very well, I shall wait until you call them," Lord Moor decided. Rafe hissed angrily, his eyes flashing red.

"Kill them!" Rafe ordered.

"Shouldn't we be getting out of here? Don't you have a key?" Laura murmured to Jamie.

"If Rafe calls the other vampires back at this hour, they won't be troubling anyone else tonight," Jamie whispered. "Let's let everyone else have their Christmas without any tragedies, eh?"

"Oh! Well, since you put it that way," Laura said. Jamie grinned and handed Laura her spare wand.

"Attack if you wish, but stay as low as you can," the Lord Moor advised, looking up towards the darkness.

Laura and Jamie heard them before they saw them; vampire bats swarmed the graveyard, attacking from above. Quickly they pulled up their collars and began casting sunlight spells, the light momentarily blinding the bats as they came in with their fangs bared. Despite the barrage, the Lord Moor didn't move from where he had been standing, for his mind was busy controlling the undead he had summoned. The more agile skeletons looked for fallen branches to swat at bats that came too close, while the much slower zombies simply tried to get in the way, acting as fleshy barricades against their assailants. One unfortunate vampire bat had made the mistake of biting into one; but instead of blood, it drained nothing but embalming fluid. It wasn't long before the poor vampire wasn't flying straight anymore, barely getting past the fence before falling to the ground.

It was Foncé who worked his way around the outside of the fence and decided to take on the corpses with his wand; but the skeletons he destroyed simply put itself back together a moment later, and the zombie he disintegrated was simply replaced by another who managed to dig itself out of the broken earth to join the rest.

"You fool! Kill the necromancer, not his constructs!" Rafe barked angrily. Foncé suddenly straightened, his red eyes turning towards the Reverent still standing near the gate.

"Perhaps you might like to show us how it is best done, Reverent Father," Foncé said in a strong voice that almost sounded like a challenge.

"You are the wizard! You kill him!" Rafe said furiously.

"Of course, Reverent Father, since you cannot," Foncé said with a bow before raising his wand. Rafe suddenly growled like a wolf.

"Fine! I shall do it myself, and then you shall pay for your insolence, my son!" Rafe said, flying up in the air with his dagger in hand.

"Owain, look out!"

"Jamie, no, stay down-"

_ "Lumos solem!"_ A strong flash of sunlight interrupted the exchange, and Rafe paused halfway to his target, hovering in air and fighting off the spell. Below, many of the other vampires recoiled in pain. One of them finally cleared her eyes and looked up to see their new assailant.

"It's him," Sibyl said, standing up. "It's Harry Potter."

"Rafe!" Harry called out from where he hovered on his broom with a necklace wound around the handle. "I need to speak with you about something, but first let Laura and Jamie go."

"I'm not leaving unless we all go together," Jamie said stubbornly.

"It's my fault we're all here, so I'm not leaving either," Laura declared.

"The only thing you can say that would interest me, Auror, is the name of the Minister of Mysteries," Rafe said.

"Is it really the Minister of Mysteries you are after, or the people who betrayed your clansman? They're not one and the same, you know," Harry said. "I happen to know now who leaked the whereabouts of your clansman to the Ministry." Rafe squinted.

"Explain, then, but I will know if you are lying to me," Rafe warned.

"They were members of the Collection Society. It seems that some of them have thrown in their support to a band of wizard outlaws called the Four Horsemen. They were the ones that wanted to start this war, not the Ministry," Harry explained.

"For what purpose?" he asked, his cold expression still quite dubious.

"Well, my theory is that the Society members were hoping that the war would give them political leverage so that they could force the Ministry into changing some of their policies on controlled artifacts. Some of the others might simply be hoping that the Ministry will destroy you and a more benevolent leader will take over."

"There are no benevolent vampires," Rafe snarled.

"Not since Pyther was saved, no," Harry said. "But vampires thrive on manipulating their victims, and I think one vampire has them all duped into believing he will be one. See, I've noticed a pattern into some of the Horsemen's activities. Every time they have attacked vampires, there have only been three of them… they left a shadow in place of the fourth. The fourth also wasn't there for an attack that took place during day hours. We've come to the conclusion that one of the Four Horsemen is probably a vampire, who is using this entire situation to further his ambitions within the clan. Someone is trying to get rid of you, Rafe."

Rafe immediately turned his piercing gaze towards Foncé.

"He simply trying to distract us from killing him," Namur hissed.

"I believe Mr. Potter," Sibyl said with a thin, toying smile. "There are traitors among us, Father."

"I have only one child powerful enough, ambitious enough, and bold enough to plot against me. Wingard, what have you to say to these accusations?" Rafe demanded.

"You would believe a mortal who would make such accusations?" Foncé asked.

"He is not the first to have come to me with such information," Rafe said coldly. Foncé flicked his eyes over to Sibyl, who smiled innocently. "I have long wondered if you were getting too ambitious; perhaps I was correct. You may have even brought this girl tonight knowing that others would follow in hopes you would be rid of me. But should you succeed, you will not be taking over this clan, Foncé. You are no elder and never will be."

"I am already an elder, Rafe, despite your attempts at holding me back," Foncé said suddenly, his eyes glowing red. "And soon I will be much more than that, and a more powerful Reverent than you are capable of being."

"Treachery! Your actions against me are actions against the entire clan! Apprehend him at once!" Rafe ordered the other vampires.

But as several moved forward, some of the others moved to stop them. Soon the elders were struggling for control, each one reluctant to break the code and harm the other, but also unwilling to budge from their position.

"What are you doing?" Rafe growled. "Obey me at once, or you will be put to the sun with that other traitor!"

"So quick to condemn us, but who is truly to blame?" Namur hissed. "He is not the only one you have been holding back. What about the rest of us, tied up in this war while you bring countless brothers and sisters into our clan. Our territories will grow smaller to make room for them, while you horde areas large enough to feed several of us for the sole purpose of demonstrating your right to rule. There are too many of us now! And if fighting is inevitable, I will fight for someone I know will not hold us back!"

"Come, my brothers! It is time!" Foncé said, raising his arms and Disapparating. A second later, the rest of his supporters Disapparated as well. Rafe screamed with rage.

"You will regret this! You will regret defying me! Have you forgotten what happened the last time anyone tried to defy me?" he bellowed. But other than a handful of loyal vampires standing dutifully behind him, no one else was around to hear, not even any zombies.

"Did you see that? All the wizard vampires… they left with Foncé," Jamie said as they dropped down in Harry's front yard. The fact there weren't any footprints betrayed that it had snowed recently, but now it was simply cold. Harry, however, had very little inclination of letting a necromancer in his house, putting away his key and standing on the doorstep. "Sibyl was the only one with any magic that stayed… if the rest of the clan splits based on whether or not they were wizardborn, Rafe is going to have serious trouble defeating them."

"Does this mean their war with the Ministry is over?" Laura wondered.

"I'm afraid not," Harry said. "But it will change… their emphasis will be less on vengeance and more on fighting over territory rights with us being part of the spoils."

"Oh, great," Jamie said. "That doesn't sound like much of an improvement if you ask me."

"Fighting vampires with necromancy isn't much of an improvement either," Harry said. Jamie quickly grew somber. "Didn't Malfoy already explain to you that necromancy was illegal, Moor?"

"Is isn't illegal in Luxembourg," Moor said calmly. "We checked."

"We?" Harry said. "Just what are you doing in Luxembourg, anyway?"

"I asked him to come, Dad. You told us not to go out without a partner, but everyone was with their families, so I asked him to fill in," Jamie explained. "Besides, I did manage to find where Rafe was hiding and rescue Laura thanks to the pendants. That's what matters, right?"

"You chose a necromancer to go with you to rescue Laura?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"That wasn't it, exactly…"

"Then what were you thinking, exactly?"

"I just knew I could trust him with something like this, that's all, because… well, I'm in love with him, actually," Jamie explained. Harry blinked. Laura let out a low whistle.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"We've been dating for awhile now. In fact, he started writing me letters the week we met, I was just a bit afraid you might not approve, is all. That you might… overreact," Jamie admitted.

"Now, why would I overreact to my daughter dating a necromancer?" Harry asked, Jamie cringing at his tone. "After all, it happens to a lot of Aurors… falling in love with criminals… we constantly have to deal with this sort of thing, so naturally some might feel an attraction to it…"

"Auror Potter, your daughter is an adult and has been an Auror some years now. Surely you trust her judgment in such matters," Moor began.

"You stay out of this," Harry snapped.

"Professor Craw always said there is good in every magic talent," Jamie reminded him. "She said it doesn't matter what type of magic you use, it's how you use it."

"She meant modern magic, Jamie. Not necromancy!"

"No, she didn't. I bet if she'd known people could still cast it, she'd have included it. There are a lot of misconceptions about necromancy, you know. The souls have moved on, the corpses are just a medium. It's only a type of animation magic…"

"Are you seriously trying to rationalize this, Jamie? It's illegal everywhere! Except in Luxembourg, apparently…"

"It's legal in Romania and the Netherlands as well…"

"Everything is legal in the Netherlands," Harry interrupted. "And you're missing the point."

Just then, the door popped open, and a sleepy-looking Ginny wearing a wooly pink bathrobe peered out at the four figures standing outside your door.

"Oh, it is you, Harry. And Jamie and Laura and… why are you standing out in the snow? And why are you shouting?" Ginny yawned.

"Jamie's boyfriend is a necromancer!" Harry fumed.

"Jamie has a boyfriend?" Ginny said, her face suddenly lighting up.

"This is Owain the Eleventh, Mum," Jamie introduced. "He's actually a British nobleman…"

"Necromancer…" Harry put in.

"I don't care what he is. If Jamie is happy with him, that's good enough for me. Goodness, why are we all standing out here? Come in out of the cold so we can get to know each other better! Let's go have some coffee, and then you are all invited to my father's house for Christmas breakfast."

"Christmas! I had better get home, my parents will be worried sick!" Laura exclaimed.

"Don't you dare leave without taking something home with you! Everyone inside quick! Harry, why are you carrying your broom? Nobody is going anywhere without getting warmed up for a bit, besides, it'll give us a chance to get to know Owain. So how long have the two of you been dating? How did you meet?" Ginny asked, carting them inside. Harry stared after them blankly for a moment before sighing in resignation, following them inside.


	33. Christmas Engagements

Chapter Thirty-Three

Christmas Engagements

"Jennifer, come away from the window."

"They've been out there for some time…"

"I highly doubt either of them are cold. There are spells for that sort of thing, not that they're likely to need them," Severus said. "That moment can be awkward enough without anyone gawking."

Jennifer finally turned away from the window, gazing back at Severus.

"Did you feel awkward when you proposed, Severus?" Jennifer asked.

"Monstrously so," Severus said.

"Well, I thought it was splendid," Jennifer said with a smile, sitting down so close to him on the couch that he gave in and put his arm around her. "I remember how shocked everyone was when they saw my ring at dinner. Rolanda nearly fell out of her chair."  
"Not as shocked as I was that you accepted," Severus decided.

"Surely not. I was openly smitten with you from the very beginning," Jennifer chuckled.

"So you were, and unwisely so," Severus murmured.

"I didn't think so, although those were terrible times," Jennifer admitted. "Not that it's been much of a picnic lately either, has it?"

"I've come to the conclusion that our lives weren't meant to be easy," Severus decided.

"Well, that's fine. Life can throw whatever trials and tribulations it likes as long as we're together. All the same, I do hope that Dale and Lucky will be able to lead less complicated lives than we have had," Jennifer admitted, leaning back against his shoulder.

"Debatable considering her ambition and his childhood fame pestering them, but we can hope all the same," Severus decided.

Ben was about to come into the living room to fetch one of Jay's new toys but then spied them on the couch. It was quite rare to see them so openly sentimental so Ben quickly slipped away, letting out a pained sigh before creeping back upstairs.

"Do you suppose having the Dragonheart will help ease her worries, Severus?" Jennifer asked. "That was the reason you gave the rings to him early, wasn't it?"

"Yes, although I hope she gets over this recent nonsense of judging her own situation based on what she observes from others," Severus said. Jennifer frowned at that. "Do you suppose they'll succeed in waiting the full four years?"

"I don't know. You know how stubborn Lucky can be," Jennifer said.

"Yes, and despite that he managed to win her over," Severus pointed out.

"That is true," Jennifer said with amusement, then reluctantly sat up when she heard the front door open. Lucky peeked into the living room.

"Any plans for tonight?" Lucky asked.

"Christmas dinner at the castle, of course," Jennifer said. "We're probably leaving right after naptime."

"Any chance I could go to Dale's parents' bungalow for dinner?"

"And what about curfew?" Severus asked.

"They're in California. It's a lot earlier there, no vampires either. There are also spare bedrooms if I get held up…"

"Just how long is this dinner, exactly?" Severus squinted.

"Severus, since Leu is going to be spending the next few days at Dad's house, it wouldn't be fair to keep Lucky at the castle," Jennifer said. Severus frowned at her. "Myrine will make sure she gets back on time." Severus sighed at that.

"Holiday assignments finished?" he asked.

"Yep, all done. I'll go get packed…"

"One moment," Severus said, his firm voice keeping her from bolting away. A pointed gesture made her take a couple of steps into the room. "The chain I gave you for Christmas. Where is it?"

"Still under the tree," Lucky admitted.

"Yes, well, put it on. And if you've been wondering why I gave you a simple chain with a charm on it to keep you from losing it, it is to protect that bauble on your finger… the one you weren't going to mention to us," Severus said sternly. Jennifer had a hard time keeping a straight face, but Lucky was doing a much better job of it.

"I got the impression from what Dale said that you already knew about it," Lucky said accusingly.

"That is neither here nor there. When you return to Hogwarts, you will keep it on its chain and not display it in public… and that includes anywhere outside of your room, not just in classes. I'd rather not have to take it from you for being indiscreet," Severus said.

"Fine, I get it," Lucky said, fishing the chain out from under the tree.

"Don't forget to bring your charm bracelet for emergencies," Severus added.

"What kind of emergency would I run into in California? Unless maybe I needed to light a barbecue," Lucky snorted. "Yeah, bring it anyway, I know," she agreed before Severus could comment, and then hurried up the stairs. Severus gazed at the empty hallway as if lost in thought, but Jennifer immediately resumed her position against him.

"I don't suppose it is likely for Quintin to come crawling in with some place he'd rather be for the rest of the holiday?" Severus murmured.

"Now that you mention it, my father did ask to take Quintin as well, but with everything going on…"

"Are you saying that you don't believe your father is capable of protecting his family?" Severus said.

"Oh no, it isn't that…"

"Good, then it's settled. We'll spend tonight in the castle and tomorrow you can drop Quintin off with Llewellyn," Severus decided. "Now stop being difficult. Surrender or I'll have to use deadly force." Jennifer smiled beguilingly at the threat.

"Such as?" she challenged him flirtatiously.

Severus gave her a sinister smile.

"You wouldn't. Not in the front room, you wouldn't, not with a houseful of people…"

"Oh, I wouldn't? Then why are you backing away?" Severus said.

"Because you might do something to make me believe that you would do something," Jennifer parried. "Even though you wouldn't."

"I promise I will what do whatever it is necessary for you to surrender completely," he sneered.

"What is in your hand?"

"Only a festive token."

"Put that way! Severus, that's not funny."

"Then why are you giggling?"

"I most certainly am not… Severus, don't you dare even attempt what you're thinking or I will get even with you."

"If I am risking you getting even with me, I am going to do more than 'attempt' it."

"Don't forget where we are, Severus…"

"Shall I break out the potions, then?"

"What are you doing?" Leu asked from the doorway, causing Jennifer to suddenly squeal and fall off the couch.

"I was attempting to persuade your mother to let Quintin go along with you when you visit your grandfather," Severus explained in a completely composed manner, despite the fact that Jennifer was watching him warily in case she had to dodge.

"Rather good idea, I should think. After all, you've both been spending the holiday so far doing things for the family, and even at the school you've been juggling so much between work and visitors and taking care of Quintin you haven't had hardly any time for yourselves at all," Leu said. "At the very least, it's obvious that Father hasn't had any time to practice his violin lately…"

"Thank you, that will do," Severus said, slightly annoyed. "There you are, Jennifer. I have a second opinion now. How can you argue with that?"

"I suppose I can't," Jennifer decided with a grin. "And you're right, we could do with a bit of a break but I'm certainly going to miss you both." Leu smiled softly at that, nodding. "Maybe you should bring down your trunk and get ready to go. We'll be leaving soon."

"All right. Oh and I think you dropped some mistletoe," Leu said.

"Oh! Yes," Jennifer said, quickly pulling it off her dress and putting it back on the mantle, pretending not to notice when Severus smirked. "Hurry along now."

"I still have every intention of making you surrender," Severus warned in her ear when Leu began climbing the stairs. "But it can wait until tomorrow."

"Are you sure they'll be all right over there?" Jennifer asked, sounding uneasy again.

"Of course. Why wouldn't they be?" Severus asked.

"I don't know, I just have a funny feeling is all," Jennifer said.

"You are simply being overprotective again," Severus answered, shaking his head. "But don't worry. I'll do everything in my power to take your mind off that separation anxiety of yours."

"Assuming I let you try," Jennifer teased.

"Hm," he said, squinting at her as she went to get Quintin ready.

* * *

Andrew opened the Study and made sure the desk was in order, even setting out some tea and peppermint tarts before Severus, Jennifer and Quintin managed to get upstairs.

"Happy Christmas, Andrew!" Jennifer said brightly, giving him a warm hug. "Did you like your new robes?"

"Yes, thanks. And I can't believe you finally found that tome I've been looking for, Father. How much did Webstring charge for it?" Andrew said.

"Don't even ask," Severus sat flatly.

"What a nice tea, Andrew. I'll be back in a few moments after I let Rasputin out and get Quintin settled," Jennifer said, stepping into the back room.

"Everything quiet here?" Severus asked.

"Mostly quiet, although there are a couple things you need to know about. Apparently Dirk Atchison showed up at the school yesterday not long before I took over for Hermione," Andrew said. Severus grimaced slightly.

"On his own?" Severus said. Andrew nodded.

"Hermione said he didn't really want to talk about it… I didn't get more than a nod out of him at breakfast. After all, we were Gryffindors…" Andrew explained.

"Understood. Has his father come after him?" Severus asked.

"No, and I'm glad he hasn't. I know technically he shouldn't be here right now, but…"

"Yes, yes I know. I'll talk to him myself," Severus said. "Anything else?" Andrew looked at the curtain nervously and back again, Severus squinting at the movement. "If it's something of that sort of nature, I suggest you simply hurry."

"Actually its… well, it's about Quintin, Father. There's something very strange going on with him," Andrew murmured in a low voice.

"What did he break this time?" Severus sighed.

"He didn't break anything… at least, well maybe it is broken in a way," Andrew said. Severus simply fixed his gaze on him, waiting for him to continue. "Hermione left her office open for me last night so I would have access to the secretary and lockdowns and I happened to flip through the registry and… well, Quintin wasn't there," he said, lowering his voice even more. "But then I checked this morning and there his name was, clear as it was the day he was born. So I went back at lunch and… well, it's almost as if… as if the book can't decide if he has enough magic for Hogwarts or not."

"I don't think that's the cause exactly, Andrew, I am quite certain he has more than enough magic to attend this school… I'll have to discuss it with you later. Someone else is quite convinced that he's just a typical wizardborn child." Severus warned.

"Typical? If anyone considers any of us five as typical, I have yet another reason as to why I should never become a parent," Andrew decided. "Besides, who would watch over the school on holidays if I had a family as well?"

"Here I am! Did I miss anything?" Jennifer asked as she came through the curtain and over to the tea set.

"Your son was prompting me for gratitude since he had to watch the school this morning. I do pay you, do I not?" Severus said critically.

"Oh, Severus honestly! Thank you so much, Andrew!" Jennifer said, insisting on a hug. "I was so glad to have a chance to spend Quintin's first Christmas at home!"

"You see why that sort of thing is best left for her to do? If I had done that, it would have looked extremely silly," Severus explained.

"Don't pay attention to him, Andrew. He's in quite a mood today," Jennifer said.

"In that case, I think I'll finish my cup quickly and get out of your hair. I still have some scrolls and tests to set up for one of my classes, and it's just enough work to fill time before dinner," Andrew said.

"Andrew, it's Christmas, at least put your feet up with a good book, perhaps with your Yule basket within reach," Jennifer suggested.

"Oh, I finished that, already, Mum," Andrew explained, drinking down his tea.

"All of it? Already?" Jennifer said with her hands on her hips.

"Castle watching makes me hungry," Andrew explained, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "See you at dinner. I'll wear one of my new Hogwarts robes, Mum."

"Splendid," Jennifer said, watching him go with a smile before turning back around. "So what were you two really talking about?"

"Dirk is back in the castle," Severus said. Jennifer's face immediately fell.

"Oh, dear," she sighed. "You'd better go have a talk with him to find out what happened."

"I think I shall," Severus agreed. "Why don't you go unpack? This might take a bit."

"I just hope they're going to be all right," Jennifer said, walking back into the sitting room but taking the biscuit tray with her.

It didn't take long for Severus to figure out that Dirk wasn't in the castle after all. His belongings were there and all unpacked, but he wasn't in Conspiracies or kitchens or even the library. So Severus decided to stop wasting his time looking and went down the secret passage going to Hogsmeade. Children were in the streets playing with their Christmas toys, and Severus had to pause near the Willowby house to acknowledge Charles the Third's new broom and Amber's new sled. But soon he continued on to the small church on Haven's Row and went inside. Hearing the voice of Father Pachem, he followed the sound to one of two schoolrooms in the back of the church where he was talking to Nancy and Dirk.

"You see? That simply proves that the two of you still have a great deal of things to work out," Pachem said. "It isn't worth rushing into marriage, no matter what the reason. I know you're both sincere, but it wouldn't do either of your relationships any justice to marry before you're ready."

"Fine, then I'll simply join the RBF. I'm old enough to enlist and I'll have rights as an adult if I do," Dirk said.

"But you'll be killed by vampires!" Nancy said in a panic.

"Personally, I think the vampires are easier than dealing with my father again," Dirk said.

Severus knocked on the door frame, making the teenagers jump and the three of them look up in surprise.

"Might I join in on this conversation?" he asked.

"By all means, Professor Snape," Pachem said with a smile. "Have you been having a nice Christmas?"

"Peaceful," Severus said.

"It has been peaceful here as well, just as it should be," Pachem said. "Although it has had its surprises. You see, these two just came to me asking if I would marry them."

"Very well. I can stand as a witness if you need one," Severus said. Pachem, Dirk and Nancy all stared at him in surprise.

"This must be some sort of attempt at reverse psychology," Dirk said, gazing at him warily.

"Not really. It is a bit more complicated than that," Severus said, sitting down. "Dirk, you remember what happened to Lyra, do you not?"

"Of course I remember. She was in my year and in the order," Dirk said. Severus nodded.

"Then I'm sure you recall what happened and probably know more about it than the majority of students. So perhaps you'll understand me when I say that I have no intention of allowing such a tragedy to occur again, and the only way I can prevent it is to back you up no matter what you decide. You must be allowed to make your own decisions. You must be allowed to make your own mistakes. And if that means I have to run interference between you and your father or whatever else is needed to make you safely carry those decisions out, I shall do so, school regulations or not. So if your plan is to get married so that you are no longer legally bound to do your father's bidding, so be it… assuming that is what you both truly want, and that you are not just reacting to something your father might have said or threatened you with." Dirk and Nancy glanced at each other uncertainly. "The question is, is this truly what you want? Are you getting married because that is what is best for the two of you, or is it because you are afraid of what might happen if you don't?"

"I'm afraid," Nancy said. Dirk gazed over at her with a frown. "But not for myself, really, I'm just afraid of what's going on. I'm afraid for Dirk and his father trying to keep us apart, and I'm afraid he might try to come to the shop or something and confront me. Everything is moving so fast now, and I'm afraid of that too. I would like to finish school and go to college, but not if it means losing Dirk. Nothing is worth that."

"You can still go to school if you want," Dirk protested. "Look, we were going to get married anyway. If we do it now, then my father can't keep us from seeing each other nor can he force the school to try. Getting married will make things a lot simpler."

Severus blinked.

"You know, I can say a lot of positive things about marriage, but I would be quite surprised if it ever made things 'simpler,'" Severus said. Pachem looked amused.

"There, you see? The professor agrees with me," Pachem said.

"Not necessarily," Severus said, ignoring the hard look that the pastor was giving him. "What do your parents know about all of this, Nancy?"

"They know all of it… well, they don't know I'm here right now," she amended, looking a bit embarrassed. "But they do know we want to get married and that Dirk's father doesn't like Muggles. In fact, they're a bit worried about his father."

"Understandable," Severus said.

"They do like Dirk though," Nancy added. "Although I'm certain they want me to finish school first."

"I see. So both you and your parents would prefer that you finish school before marriage. And what about you, Dirk?" Dirk sighed.

"I would like to finish school as well…"

"A reasonable consensus."

"If we could," Dirk finished, shaking his head. "You have no idea how furious my father is right now. He found out about it during a Yule party and hasn't calmed down in four days."

"I can well imagine. I recall how Jennifer reacted when she found out our firstborn was engaged to a Muggle, and I had plenty of warning to try and prepare her for it before she found out about it," Severus said.

"What? Surely that isn't true. It doesn't make any sense," Nancy said. "My parents told me that Professor Craw has always been a very good friend of the Haveners, just like Corey. Why would she be upset?"

"She's a Craw," Severus answered simply. "The pride of generations of Craws as well as her own pride stood in the way of her coming to terms with it. Fortunately, her belief in family unity and her desire that her children have a better life than she had when she was younger won out. Perhaps, given enough time, your parents will come around as well."

"I doubt they ever will, and frankly at this point I don't care," Dirk said. "All I really want right now is to keep my parents from trying to interfere with my life and to make sure my father doesn't bother Nancy and her family."

"Then I will make a deal with you," Severus said, glancing at Pachem and then back to Dirk. "Since both of you agree that you would rather finish school before resorting to this extreme solution, the both of you will return. Father Pachem and I will get with Corey, and the three of us will run interference of our own, to make certain that you both are allowed to do so. It will mean that I will need to have a chat with your father, Dirk, as well as Madame Brittle and perhaps someone at the Ministry, but I will do everything I can to make certain that you can spend the remainder of your holiday at the school and that you may finish out your seventh year without fear of being taken out of the school. If things get out of hand and we've exhausted every resource, I'll marry the two of you myself." Dirk glanced at Nancy before nodding.

"That sounds fair," Dirk said evenly.

"Fine, but I must ask you for one thing in return; that you do not try to handle this situation yourself in any way," Severus said seriously, studying both their faces intently. "If anything goes wrong, if you feel threatened or feel that you are not able to continue at school in your current situation, you will come straight to me. You will not do anything to try to remedy the situation on your own. If I am not in my office for whatever reason, you will wait there until I return."

"But how would I get there?" Nancy asked.

"Corey or Mrs. Pyther can get you to me safely and neither will ask questions," Severus said. "Pachem can also help you if you cannot get to either of them for any reason."

"I certainly shall," Pachem agreed readily.

"Do you both agree to the terms?" Severus asked.

"Yes," said Nancy quietly.

"Agreed," Dirk said with another nod.

"Good. I'll wait outside while you finish your visit, then I'll walk you back, Mr. Atchison," Severus said.

"Thank you, Professor," Dirk said. Pachem smiled at them and followed Severus out into the corridor, the two of them slowly walking back to the front of the church.

"That was well handled," Pachem commented. "Although a bit strange, if you don't mind me saying so."

"You mean that it wasn't the sort of response you were expecting from a Hogwarts Headmaster under the circumstances," Severus said, Pachem smiling apologetically. "Well, it wasn't. It was the sort of response I would have given any Slytherin who had gotten into a dire situation when I was their advisor. Back then it was much easier to bend the rules when a student was in danger; Dumbledore would always cover for my actions. But things have now come full circle, and I shall do whatever is necessary to keep the students safe, regardless of personal consequences," Severus said.

"Rather unrealistic expectation, isn't it?" Pachem said. "You can't always be there."

"No perhaps not, but I intend to do a better job of it than I have in the past. In any case, we all have unobtainable goals we aspire to," Severus said.

"That is quite true," Pachem said with a smile, the two sitting down two wait for the couple. "And I think yours truly befits that of a headmaster, after all."

* * *

Ludo Bagman was already in the visitor room when Garvan and his father arrived with their parcels, chatting trivialities to Boltin.

"Happy Christmas to you!" Ludo said cheerfully as Hinge led them in. "Look at all of those boxes! And most of them smell quite good."

"Is there anything in there that meets his dietary regulations?" Hinge asked suspiciously.

"Now, Adam, there are no diets on Christmas," Boltin said with amusement, offering to bring some of the boxes through the magic field.

"I think Father deserves a day of good behavior, from the looks of it he has stayed rather strict up until today," Peter commented. "I swear, Father, every time I visit you look better. I can almost see you out on the Quidditch Pitch the way you are now."

"Almost?" Ludo said with a half chuckle. "Then I still have more work to do."

"Nonsense, you haven't looked this fit in years… not before you took that job at the Ministry."

"The Ministry did add some inches and years to me, especially after I took over the department of Mysteries," Ludo admitted, opening up the food boxes to see what was in them. "The grey hairs too. Do you suppose I could get a dye potion?"

"You would have to have someone else apply it," Boltin said. "But perhaps I'll have a word with the prison barber."

"Does it really matter?" Hinge asked with exasperation. "It isn't like you're going anywhere, is it? He's not even allowed visitors outside of family."

"It matters to me. It could be a reward to myself for getting back into shape," Ludo said proudly. "Perhaps I could get a new mug shot after it's done?"

"Yes, that is a good idea," Boltin agreed before Hinge could protest again.

"Father, please. You have all the time in the world to taunt your guards when we're not here," Peter protested with a chuckle.

"Actually, I never get them both in the same room except for when Garvan visits," Ludo explained. "And it is so fun to play one off the other. But look at all of this food, roasted goose and all the trimmings, and pumpkin tarts to finish. This is spoiling."

"If you ask me, the man is spoiled already," Hinge growled.

"It's Jeffers, he has been a splendid counselor. He can think up an argument for practically everything, except getting me a parole hearing or more visitation rights… in good time, I suppose."

"I wouldn't count on it, Ludo," Boltin said. Ludo grunted.

"When Boltin sounds likes Hinge, it really does mean unlikely," Ludo grumbled. "Very well, I shall simply have to live vicariously through my grandson! Tell me, have you been having a good holiday?"

"Very well so far, although a little strange. The goblins in Myrkinbrek weren't very friendly to their customers this year, there aren't many hours in the day to go out and visiting has to be done by floo powder. And even when I did manage to go to Aviation, there were several RBF men hanging about," Garvan explained.

"We live quite close to the Ministry, Garvan. I know Hogsmeade has had one major skirmish, but where we are we have had them nearly every night. The goblins have been taking heavy losses as well," Peter said.

"What would vampires want with goblins?" Hinge asked.

"I don't know, but living underground as they do, they've been getting attacks at all times of day, and strange ones too… both bite marks and goblin dagger wounds on each victim. They're blaming the Ministry, of course," Peter said.

"But the Ministry had nothing to do with it!" Garvan argued. "They didn't get involved until after the invasion. And the Ministry of Mysteries didn't have anything to do with trying to kill the Donnachts. They've been trying to find out who's been behind it from the beginning. Apparently there are some people in the Ministry who are working for someone else."

"Mr. Gamban, didn't you say 'no politics' when your son was present?" Boltin suddenly reminded them.

"But I want grandfather to understand that his lawsuit against the Minister of Mysteries is pointless," Garvan protested.

"Garvan, I have heard the Ministry's claims through the _Daily Prophet_, but it's no secret that the Prophet has been on the take of the Ministry for years now, being that there's a Weasley in charge and his brother is the public relations officer. What makes you so certain that they're telling us the truth?" Ludo asked.

"I have my sources," Garvan said.

"All right, Garvan, that's enough. Time to change the subject," Peter suggested.

"How are you doing in school?" Ludo asked.

"Oh! Right enough, I'm second in some of my classes, behind Maurice, of course," Garvan said.

"Except for Potions," Peter grunted.

"It's not my best subject, I'll admit that. Even Cain scores higher than me… not that he doesn't do well, of course, he just seems to have to work at it," Garvan explained. Hinge's cheeks grew pink and he looked in another direction, well aware that Ludo was smirking at him. "Maurice said he'd help me get caught up, though, he's quite brilliant. And I'm going to spend the rest of the holiday with him. His father invited all of Maurice's friends to their farm."

"Oh? I thought Craw lived near London," Ludo said.

"Oh, it's not a farm anymore, really, just a very large farm house and a huge yard, with a really nasty hedgerow that keeps the neighbors from getting nosy," Garvan added with a chuckle. "We'll be allowed to mess with our Christmas gifts there, provided we don't fly above the hedgerow, and without the RBF making comments or suggestions on our flying skill."

"That sounds like a perfect way to end the holiday then, if you ask me," Ludo said. "That stuffy old Enforcer Minister doesn't mind you in his house, eh? You must be pretty close mates to Maurice now."

"Oh, well… he talks to me a lot whenever we're in the Owl Room, but he's closer to Max and Cain. They all say I'm too quiet, but really, it's hard to hold a conversation because Maurice knows more about what's really going on, and they haven't been talking about books so much as politics lately," Garvan admitted. "A new book is coming out soon, though, so perhaps it'll take Maurice's mind off of it."

"Oho, it seems you've stumbled onto your Christmas surprise from me," Ludo said cheerfully. "You see, I happen to know the author of those books, and I've arranged come January second when that next book comes out for you to get a special signed copy…right at midnight from Flourish and Blotts."

"A signed copy! And I don't have to wait in line for it?" Garvan said in awe.

"Nope, you get to go right to the head of the line," Ludo said.

"Wow, all the others will be envious of that. Thank you, grandfather!" Garvan said, impressed.

"Thank Boltin and your father, they let me arrange it," Ludo said. "So! About your friend Maurice… I don't suppose he knows who the current warden of this prison is, does he?" Ludo asked wickedly.

"That'll do, Ludo," Boltin warned him.

"Father, you promised not to involve Garvan in any more of your plots," Peter reminded him.

"It's all right, Maurice would never tell us anything like that. Just because he knows everything that goes on in the Ministry doesn't mean he's a blabbermouth. He'd never betray anyone like that, no matter how close to his mates he is," Garvan said. "Maurice is very loyal, and he keeps his secrets secret. That's part of why the rest of us tend to look up to him… that and he's brilliant."

"Yes, but I bet he isn't half the Beater you'll turn out to be," Ludo commented, Garvan grinning at that. "It's all in the gene pool, after all. Would you rather be a stuffed robe, or a smashing Quidditch player?"

"As long as he isn't a career criminal as well," Hinge muttered under his breath so low that only Boltin heard him.


	34. The Havener

Thirty-Four

The Havener

When Garvan arrived at the Craw farm, the other boys were already in the parlor setting up a Quidditch board game. Thomas, Fleur and Jennifer were all in the kitchen with Leu standing in the middle of them looking out of place while Thomas was covetously holding Quintin in his arms.

"Here is a list of what foods Quintin is allowed to have," Jennifer said, glancing at the scroll before rolling it back up. "And here is an emergency list of procedures for every occasion…"

"Jen-girl, I have raised two children, including you, and if there is one thing I know how to do well, it's defend myself and my family. Do you really think all of this is necessary?" Thomas said with exasperation.

"Well, the food list is mine, but the emergency list is from Severus," Jennifer said with amusement. "Leu has his own list in his emergency potion wallet." Thomas rolled his eyes.

"Follow me," Maurice suggested quietly, coming up along side Garvan. Gratefully, Garvan followed him around the side hallway into the parlor. "My nephews are going to be staying here as well until school starts."

"But this game only plays four," Cain complained.

"That's all right. I'm no good at games anyhow, so I can just watch," Leu suggested.

"The whole reason you are here in the first place is to give you a chance to play with normal boys and not ghosts," Maurice reminded him. "I've an idea. I can break out that new Meglomaniacs Club game I got from Singh, because it can play up to six."

"Brilliant! I want to play Hanz!" Max said immediately.

"You can't play Hanz, he's a non-player character. You have to make your own student and try to work your way into the club to meet him," Maurice explained. "Why don't you put that away while we get the other game down?"

"So we have to make up our own characters to play?" Cain asked. "I was hoping to play Crush myself."

"If you get high enough level you get to meet them, but first you have to work your way through the castle and take the test of Death and Greedy Destruction to make sure you're strong enough to join the club," Maurice explained, getting down the box.

"Are you sure that is fun?" Leu asked uncertainly.

"How do you win?" Garvan asked with interest.

"You take over the wizard school, of course," Maurice said, pulling out some character sheets. "Whoever gets to the end and has 60 percent or more control of the castle... versus the other players, the npc's, and the teaching staff… wins the game."

"This game is about overthrowing the faculty of a wizarding school?" Leu asked dubiously.

"Of course. Don't tell me you've never read the Wizards of MC," Max said with exasperation.

"Never heard of it," Leu said with a shrug.

"Never even heard of it? And you call yourself a family benefactor!" Max scolded Maurice.

"No matter. I shall let you borrow my first five volumes right after the game, Llewellyn," Maurice promised. "Time to get you educated on popular wizard culture."

"Good afternoon, boys! I see you've all managed to get settled," Thomas said when he walked in, still carrying Quintin who was grabbing his robe and looking around with interest.

"He's hopeless, Mr. Craw, completely hopeless," Cain declared.

"You mean Leu? Yes, I know, that's why I rescued him from that other house," Thomas said with a nod, but gave Leu a quick tap on the head as he went by. "Do what you can with him, and see what you can do to make sure he has fun too. See you at dinner, I'm off to the Secret Lab for a few hours with my captive here," he said, carrying Quintin out into the back hallway.

"How can he have a secret lab if everyone knows it's there?" Garvan asked.

"It isn't secret that it's there, only what he does when he's down there," Cain explained.

"Even that's not much of a secret if you spend a few afternoons here," Max said, and then began to help Maurice set up the elaborate castle maze in the middle of the game board. "I suppose we're going to have to explain some of the story background to Leu or he isn't going to understand how to play. Gosh, it'd be easier if he had been rescued from goblins two series ago."

"Did you know that the newest book comes out in January?" Garvan said brightly.

"Of course, everyone knows that," Cain said.

"I'm getting a signed copy… and I'm getting it before anyone else," Garvan said. Cain, Max, and Maurice all looked up at him.

"How did you manage that?" Maurice asked.

"It was a Christmas present. My grandfather knows the author and arranged it… well, rather my father arranged it for him," Garvan said.

"Must be nice having a notorious grandfather with those sorts of connections," Max said.

"Actually, I find it quite awkward on occasion," Garvan admitted, setting the squirming wizard professors on their stands.

"Does your father always do those sorts of favors for your grandfather?" Cain asked, squinting suspiciously.

"No need to interrogate me about it. Your father was standing right there the whole time we were talking," Garvan said.

"Why was his father there?" Leu asked curiously.

"My father is the lieutenant guard of Azkaban, of course. He's in charge of the maximum security area… the worst of the worst," Cain explained.

"Your father guards his grandfather? That does sound awkward," Leu said. "And yet your parents don't mind all of you being friends?"

"They don't seem to," Garvan shrugged.

"I think it's on account of they knew each other at school," Cain decided. "And your father did make a point to change his name, didn't he?"

"Oh, that was because he didn't want people bothering me about it," Garvan sighed.

"Sorry, I suppose I shouldn't be talking about it then," Leu said.

"It's all right. I'm older now, and I'm fairly sure that people will judge me by who I am and not what my grandfather might have done," Garvan said.

"We certainly won't," Max said.

"It wouldn't matter even if you did do something wrong. Slytherin look after our own, you know that," Maurice reminded him.

"If that's true, then why does Dirk seem to be in so much trouble right now?" Leu asked.

"He isn't with us, exactly, although… well, regardless of how some of the others might feel about it, he's still the Head Boy and our Prefect. And as such, I know he is willing to do anything to get what he wants no matter what the rest of us think. You don't become a Slytherin Prefect without grim determination," Maurice said.

"Wasn't his father a Slytherin Prefect as well?" Max said.

"Yes, of course, which is why he's so alarmed by this situation in the first place," Maurice said. "It must have come as quite a shock to him that his son would even consider it really. I know to some of us, falling for a Muggle would just be unthinkable."

"How come?" Leu asked curiously.

"Family loyalty, of course," Maurice said with shrug.

"In that case, it seems to me that if Dirk's father believed in family loyalty, he'd respect Dirk's decisions no matter what he did, right?" Leu concluded. "Just like Slytherin do."

"He's got a point," Cain said.

"After all, we're not in the dark ages anymore," Max said. "Times have changed…"

"Family traditions don't," Maurice said.

"Of course they do, Maurice," Garvan said. "After all, your niece married a Muggle, and you told us in the past that sort of thing would have been certain doom in your family a hundred years ago. And what about the Keeper of Dark Magic? It belong to Craws for a thousand years, but now it's the Snapes that hold the title."

"But that was because my Father didn't think he'd ever have a son back in those days, and his life was in jeopardy. He passed it down out of necessity," Maurice explained fervently.

"Well, maybe it's time that the Atchison family made an adjustment to their traditions out of necessity too," Garvan said, Leu nodding firmly in agreement.

* * *

It was a cold night, but very quiet… so much so that when the late knock came to the door, Nancy heard it clearly from where she was dozing in her bed, half awake and half asleep. Suddenly feeling more alert, she slipped out of bed and opened the bedroom door so she could hear what was going on downstairs.

"That is a sizable amount, Mr. Atchison," Mr. Parker admitted.

"Enough to pay off this house and all her university expenses for certain, perhaps even schooling for your other children," Atchison said.

"To be sure it is, but I'm sure you can understand there are things that money cannot buy. My Nancy is quite fond of your boy, and she isn't likely to change her mind even if it were a mountain of Galleons you were offering," Parker said.

"Then change her mind for her. Tell her you disapprove of this relationship," Atchison said. Parker chuckled softly at that.

"Sir, that sort of thing didn't matter to your son, nor would it matter to my Nancy either. Her mind is quite made up and if I were to protest now it would do not but make her that much determined to do what she wants. They are at the age they want their freedom… soon they'll be out in the world ready to make their own mistakes. If you can't trust their decisions, at least trust your parenting since you raised him with your own values at heart."

"These are not my values! These are Snape's values!" Atchison growled. "If it had been left to me he wouldn't have been exposed to a Muggle pen pal in the first place!"

"I beg your pardon, sir, but we're not Muggles. We're Haveners," Parker said. "Even when the two dozen who first came here considered themselves Haveners, whether they had magic or not. Now there are over fifty of us who came from both your world and the Muggle world living on Haven's Row, folks comfortable with both worlds and seeking the best of both worlds rather than having to choose sides. My Nancy is at home in wizard company as much as she is in Muggle company, and she understands magic better than you think, Mr. Atchison."

"Call yourselves what you will, you are still magicless and she would be better off finding someone from her own social circles instead of my son's. Perhaps after you have slept on the offer you will change your mind," Atchison said.

"Sleep or no sleep, I'm afraid the answer will be the same. My Nancy is a strong-willed girl and her heart can't be bought. I wonder, though, why you ask me to do such a thing when it is apparent that you have had no luck changing your own son's mind?" Parker asked.

"They will change their minds, one way or another," Atchison swore before he stepped back out of the doorway and Disapparated.

Nancy exhaled, not even realizing she had been holding her breath until that moment. She chewed on her lip for only a moment before scrambling for a tiny piece of paper, carefully writing a note on it and then rolling it up tight enough to fit inside a little tube. As silently as possible, she snuck up to the attic, looking at the different birdcages until she found the one she wanted and fastened the message to its leg and let it go. She watched the bird sail down the street before she finally snuck back down and under the covers, wondering what he was going to try next.

Just after breakfast, there was a knock on the door. Her father went to open it, while her mother stayed there trying to calm her two brothers down so that they would finish their food.

"Ah! Mr. Willowby! We're about done with breakfast. Have you eaten?" Parker said, Nancy leaning forward to see Corey stepping inside with her father.

"Stuffed, thanks," Corey chuckled. "I happened by and I thought perhaps I'd walk Nancy to work this morning."

"I'd be much obliged if you would," Parker said sincerely.

"It's no trouble," Corey assured him.

"I had better finish getting ready," Nancy said.

"Take your time, we still have a bit," Corey said, glancing at his watch.

"Some coffee while you wait, Mr. Willowby?"

"Thanks, Mrs. Parker, that'd be great," Corey said with a smile.

"Have a good holiday, I hope?" Parker asked.

"Oh yes, thanks," Corey said, accepting the cup from his wife.

"Business doing well despite the shorter hours?" he asked politely.

"Any year where I can come out even in the books is a good year," Corey said with a grin.

"You should charge more," suggested Jacob, one of Nancy's brothers.

"Maybe you should just pay my sister less," her other brother Chris put in mischievously.

"Now, boys, that is quite enough, although I agree that Mr. Willowby can be overly generous," Mrs. Parker added.

"Not at all, she's a hard worker and she's going to need that money for school," Corey protested.

"But she wants to go to school to study dirt!" Jacob said.

"She can do that easy enough going out in the back yard," Chris explained.

"I think it's fantastic that she wants to be a soil biologist," Corey said. "It's not only good for Herbologists, you know, it's always very important for farming. If your soil is healthy, you'll get better crops."

"Just add horse manure," Chris shrugged, Jacob sniggering in response.

"Oh no, not this conversation again," Nancy protested as she came back down the stairs.

"Pay them no mind, Nancy, you know they simply don't want you to go away to school," Mrs. Parker said, gazing knowingly at the two boys who suddenly seemed interested in cleaning the table.

"I would rather go to school nearby," Nancy admitted, suddenly sounding wistful.

"Perhaps we should be going," Corey suggested, Nancy smiling wanly in response.

"Have a good day! Work hard, now," Mr. Parker said.

"She always does," Corey said, the two stepping out into the biting wind.

"I know she does. I was talking to you, Mr. Willowby," Mr. Parker teased with a wink before shutting the door. Nancy grinned.

"He was telling me the other day that you were rather lazy when you were both children," Nancy admitted.

"Yes, yes I was," Corey chuckled. "Back when I thought magic would make my life easier. Boy was I wrong. It's true some things are easier, but some things are harder as well."

"It does seem to have its advantages," Nancy said.

"The best advantage anyone can have is using what you have up here," Corey said, tapping his head. "And that's what I came to talk to you about… that and I have a belated gift for you in the back of the shop."

"I already got my Christmas bonus, Mr. Willowby," Nancy protested.

"This is actually a bit of a joint present, and one that will come in quite handy the next time our dear Mr. Atchison decides to come into the shop," Corey said.

"Come into the shop? But he's never come in before!"

"Considering what he did last night I think he will, because I don't think he's going to give up that easily. He couldn't get through to your parents, so he'll try to get to you, and the easiest place to do so is my shop. The good news is that I don't think he really wants to hurt you, at least not at this stage. He is probably going to try to bribe, bully, or scare you into stop seeing Dirk," Corey explained.

"I have no intention of being bribed or bullied and I'm not afraid of him," Nancy said proudly.

"Which means he'll either have to give up, which is probably unlikely, or resort to violence," Corey said. "But there is a way to beat him to the punch and give us the advantage."

"What do you mean?" Nancy asked. Corey simply held up a finger with a smile and unlocked the door of the apothecary, carefully dispelling the security wards before leading her to the back room where a lovely purple velvet cloak was waiting for her.

* * *

It was after the noon rush when Kris Atchison finally wandered over from having lunch at the Pannage, peering into the window suspiciously until the last of the customers exited before finally coming in. Two clerks were stocking the shelves while they conferred over who was going to take the first lunch break. Behind the counter stood the girl, and after he stepped inside and got a better look at her, he began to understand why his son ended up falling for such a creature. She was slender without being thin; her skin was creamy white without being pale and colorless; her eyes seemed large and nose small within the frame of her perfect oval face, and there seemed to be no end to her dark, thick hair, the braid falling well past the edge of the counter.

"Humph," Atchison said to himself in annoyance, causing the clerks to look up in surprise. He had thought he had raised his son better than to be taken in by such shallow beauty… family and upbringing mattered more. Had he forgotten? Duped by a mere Muggle?

The clerks suddenly scattered, one going behind the counter while the other scurried to the back room.

"Can I help you, sir?" the clerk asked.

"I would just like a word with Miss Parker, if you don't mind," Atchison said darkly.

"It's all right, John, I need to have a word with Mr. Atchison as well over a family matter," Nancy said. Atchison squinted at her.

"Exactly what do you mean by that?" he demanded.

"Well, if you must know, it's because you should have already been my father-in-law by now," Nancy said bluntly.

"What!"

"We were going to get married a couple of days ago, but Father Pachem and Professor Snape stepped in and advised us to finish school instead… assuming that you don't try to come between us again, that is. If you do, we're going to get married anyway," Nancy explained.

"You will do no such thing! No son of mine is going to marry any sort of –"

"Havener," Nancy interrupted proudly. "And as I just explained to you, we could have been married already and you couldn't have stopped it, and you won't be able to stop if we want to get married later. Furthermore, I am quite done up with you getting Dirk all worked up about all of this when it's none of your business. If you don't stop bothering him about our relationship, I am going to be forced to intervene. I don't want to hurt you, Mr. Atchison."

"Hurt me? Are you mad? How could you possibly hurt me, you impudent creature?" Atchison said, red in his outrage.

"In a wizard's duel, of course," Nancy said easily.

"Don't be ridiculous! You would be dead before you even had a chance to react," Atchison scoffed.

"Care to wager on that?"

Atchison looked up to see Corey standing against one of the shelves behind them with an enigmatic smile on his face.

"I beg your pardon?" Atchison said.

"I think she would do a lot better in a duel than you think she could, Atchison, assuming you accepted her challenge," Corey said.

"Willowby, I don't want to kill the girl! I simply want her to find someone of her own kind to date so she will leave my boy alone!" Atchison snapped.

"I rather think Dirk would be upset if I killed you as well," Nancy agreed.

"Then we're in agreement. A sparring duel would be enough to settle this," Corey said. "If Mr. Atchison wins, Nancy agrees not to see Dirk anymore. If Nancy wins, Mr. Atchison agrees to accept you as his daughter-in-law. Fair wager?"

"Yes," Nancy said seriously.

"Good. Hogwarts has a sparring ring you can use, just let me send a message real quick to warn the Headmaster that we're coming," Corey said.

"I never agreed to anything, Mr. Willowby. The entire idea is preposterous," Atchison growled.

"You have a better one then?" Corey asked expressionlessly.

"I'm not giving up," Nancy said firmly. "I can be just as stubborn as you are. Either you agree to the spar, or we will do what we want to anyhow. At least I'm willing to fight for what I believe in."

"Personally, I don't see why you'd want to turn it down… especially if she is just a Muggle like you say she is," Corey said. "Are you that afraid you'll lose?"

"Of course not, but I do not like being manipulated!" Atchison snapped.

"Neither do I!" Nancy said. "So either accept my challenge or leave, because I have no intention of listening to you."

"Fine! But I have your word that if you lose, you will trouble my son no more!" Atchison said with a finger raised in warning.

"As long as you agree to leave us alone if I win," Nancy said firmly.

"You won't win no matter what tricks Willowby and the Headmaster have up their sleeve," Atchison said.

"I assure you the match will be as fair as it can be under the circumstances," Corey said, and then excused himself to make arrangements.

* * *

When they arrived at the castle, a sparring ring unlike any other had been set up in the gym. It was twice as large as the regular ones with a strange shimmering magical field around it. Curiously, Nancy reached out to touch it only to find her hand going all the way through it as if there was nothing there at all.

"What sort of sparring ring is this?" Atchison asked with a frown.

"A special one I put together for the occasion," Severus explained, walking over to the ring beside Corey. "This ring has been constructed with some of Nancy's talents in mind. It has a larger area to accommodate someone trained in fighting with potions, and the field surrounding it is there to protect any spectators from the effects of them; namely me," he said bluntly, then noticed Corey smirking at him with amusement. "And Corey as well," he added as an afterthought. "I have also set it up so I can dissipate any potion reactions to prevent any accidents. The sparring ring is ready whenever you are."

"You cannot possibly expect me to believe you constructed something with this much precision in a matter of minutes," Atchison said.

"I was up all night, as Professor Craw can attest to, ever since I got the note from Miss Parker informing me that you attempted to buy her parents' influence," Severus said almost casually. "And with that admission, I would rather that the two of you get started with this match so I might retire to my rooms."

"What are the rules?" Nancy asked.

"Simply enough, you will both enter the ring, he with his wand and his training of magic and you with yours," Severus said. "When I say begin, you will cast your spells and potions until one of you is unable to continue. I do reserve the right to call a hold in the spar if I feel either of you are terminally in danger."

"It won't last long enough to cause you any concern," Atchison said, taking off his coat and checking his wand. Nancy glanced at Corey uncertainly, but he held out her new cloak encouragingly.

"The potions in the cloak are organized based on their alchemical symbols, and exactly like they would be at work," Corey murmured softly. "I made sure they were all easily identifiable to you; but be careful not to mix any gaseous potions from the left side with the right. I'm sure you can guess what will happen."

"I'm not so sure I can do this," Nancy whispered. "In fact, I think I've changed my mind…"

"Changed your mind about Dirk as well?" Corey murmured, making Nancy look even more worried. "Sorry, it's much too late to get cold feet now. Time to get in there and show him what you're made of."

"Right now I feel rather like soggy mash," Nancy said. With a forceful nudge from Corey she went over to the ring and stepped into it, immediately going to the opposite corner from where the wizard was standing in. He would probably start off with a spell that he felt would end the match at once, Nancy thought to herself as she walked over, touching the phials in her cloak and counting each one with her finger to try and get a feel for where certain potions might be.

"Very well, you may begin," Severus said so casually that it seemed to take Atchison by surprise, for he had been waiting for a formal countdown.

Nancy knew his momentary surprise was her only chance to make certain that he didn't end the match with one shot, and she quickly loosened a stopper and threw a bottle of Insta-fog that completely filled the area between them.

It was a stall tactic to be sure; she knew that it was only a matter of seconds before he cleared the fog enough that he could cast at her. But what else could she use to stop him? Of course! Quickly she searched through the phials, reading the symbols. She had just realized she was up a row too many when she heard Atchison mumble and instinctively hit the floor, a spell passing over her head. Scrambling into the part of the fog that hadn't dissipated yet, she grabbed the phial of sleep sand she'd been looking for and managed to get it open. Grabbing a handful of the sand, she got up and stepped out of the fog and threw it at him, but the dust went straight through him and landed on the mat. He smiled thinly.

"You cannot throw potions if I have no matter to affect," Atchison said.

"If incorporeal spells are anything like the potions, it won't last long," Nancy said, pouring the rest out in her hand and throwing it again. But Atchison saw the movement and took a flying leap out of the area, becoming solid before he reached the ground. Immediately he rolled into a kneeling position and aimed his wand. With a gasp of alarm, Nancy managed to pull out a large mirror that sent the spell veering off in another direction.

"Where did you get that?" Atchison snapped.

"From my pocket," Nancy admitted, a bit amazed herself. "Actually, I didn't even know it was in there until just now."

"Who exactly set her up with that cloak?" Atchison asked angrily.

"Does it really matter?" Severus said evenly. "She is the one who thought of using a mirror and didn't even know it was there until just now. Give the girl some credit for using her mental resources to protect herself."

"Then I'll simply show her why that tactic is flawed," Atchison said with a growl. "_Liquify!"_ he intoned. Nancy felt the mirror lighten as the surface began to pull away from the frame.

Dropping it before the spell had run its course, she ran backwards with a hand under her cloak. She glanced the label only briefly before emptying out the seed inside and tossing the phial out of the way so that she could grab another, pouring a liquid potion over top of it. Quickly she ran away from it, so focused on getting as far away as possible that she wasn't even aware of the blinding spell that flashed not even a second after she turned to run.

Suddenly the plant sprouted and tentacles began reaching out from the sides of the seed while in the center emerged a tall plant with a huge bulbous flower at the end with sharp, serrated petals that betrayed its carnivorous nature. One tentacle actually managed to get a hold of Atchison's leg and tried to drag him off his feet; but Atchison wasted no time in casting a drying spell that made the tentacles slowly shrivel and brown until the plant itself died. At the same time, Nancy came up beside him with a handful of powder and blew it in front of his face. The wizard began to sneeze uncontrollably, his eyes watering and hands reflexively coming up to try to contain it, nearly poking himself in the eye with his wand in the process. If only she hadn't wasted that sleeping powder! But perhaps he might accidentally stumble into it, she thought, looking at the dusted floor that was several feet away from where he stood.

Quickly, she got out an oily substance and poured it near his feet, backing up so she wouldn't step in it herself as it oozed across the floor. But the wizard had begun to recover from the sneezing and felt his foot slip. Quickly he pointed his wand at his feet, and instantly the slipping stopped and he was able to walk on the slippery floor without any trouble at all.

"Surprised, my dear? Any first year student can do a common footprint spell to get around such obstacles," Atchison said critically.

"I may not know magic, but I bet I know more alchemy than you do," Nancy said proudly. "Like what's going to happen with that displacement potion reaches what's left of that growth potion on the floor." Atchison looked thoughtfully at the mat as the oily potion finally reached the other and began to sizzle, throwing up unhealthy fumes of green and purple smoke into the air. Severus stood up with his wand in hand as if about to intervene, but the wizard finally reacted, casting a fresh air spell and sending the plumes of smoke out of the ring with a breeze spell.

"I suggest neither of you try anything involving fire for a few minutes," Corey warned them when some of the haze remained in the ring.

"I expect it'll be over by then," Atchison said, turning his wand towards the girl again. _"Freeze!" _

Nancy stepped to the side, enough to protect the majority of her body but not enough to prevent her from getting hit completely. As the spell hit her shoulder, there was a puff of smoke. When it cleared, she was no longer standing there.

"What in the devil was that? Where did that girl go?" Atchison demanded. "Surely her leaving means she's forfeited the fight!"

"Are you so certain she left?" Severus asked in such a tone that made Atchison wonder, looking around the ring again. Squinting, he fired off a few simple spells in case she was simply lurking invisible, but the spells didn't seem to hit anything.

"Come out and fight, you silly girl, or I'll assume you have forfeited!" he ordered her. It was then he felt something crawling up the outside of his robe and flinched, looking down just in time to see a partially camouflaged Chameleander as it scurried up and bit the thumb on his wand hand. Howling in pain, he shook the creature off, the colorful lizard scurrying out of range. Slowly it changed back into the panting girl, who shakily stood up again. "How could you possibly have done such a transformation?" he demanded.

"Polymorph potion, designed to trigger when someone casts a spell," Corey said in a casual tone. "It was used against me once. In fact, it is one of the things that led to the Haveners having to leave their town in the first place."

"They should never have left!" Atchison snapped.

"It was people like you who forced us to!" Corey shouted back.

"Corey, please, this is not your fight," Severus reminded him firmly. But the heated exchange had given Nancy time to recover, and she had found another promising phial. Charging the wizard, she sprayed him with a strange crawling liquid. Instead of a normal splatter, the liquid formed chains of crossing droplets across his robes that suddenly solidified into strong silk threads like a giant spider web, pinning his wand arm to his side and leaving the other bent at the elbow.

Atchison growled, so angry at himself for letting his guard down that he was somehow able to wrestle his left hand free, reaching out to grab the girl before she ran. Just when he thought he had lost his opportunity to stop her, his hand brushed up against her long braid and he was able to grab onto it.

"Let go of me!" Nancy squealed in pain and surprise, trying to wrench away and grab another phial at the same time. But in the process, she had lost all track of where she was standing. As she spun to try and defend herself, her footing gave as her feet slipped on the displacement potion. Atchison lost hold of her braid as she fell to the floor and skidded straight into the sleep sand. All of the sudden, everything seemed quiet in the room; only the sound of Nancy's deep, peaceful breathing could be heard.

"So, it seems you have won," Severus said expressionlessly. Corey looked much more upset, carefully working his way over to the girl.

"That doesn't count! She fell on her own potions!" Atchison protested angrily, pointing towards the chaos on the floor.

"It does count. She should have been more careful," Severus shrugged unconcernedly. "It was only a matter of time before you finished her off anyway; sooner or later she would have run out of potions that could counter a spell. Besides, why would you care? Now that she's lost, you don't have to ever see her again."

Corey gently pulled her out of the dust, using a spell to clean the rest off of her before pulling out some smelling salts. A moment later, she flinched and was awake, looking around dazedly at Corey gazing at her sympathetically and the obviously irritated wizard glaring down at her from the other side of the ring.

"Oh no!" Nancy said, covering her eyes and bursting into tears. Corey was quick to comfort her, pulling the sobbing girl close.

"You did very well. That was an amazing job, Nancy," Corey said.

"But I didn't win! I didn't win, now everything is over!" she sobbed.

"What is going on here?" shouted Dirk from the doorway.

"Shouldn't you be in your houserooms?" Severus scowled, ignoring Nancy who had practically pushed him aside to get out of the ring.

"Dirk! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!" Nancy cried as Dirk pulled her into his arms. Dirk held her close and glared at his father accusingly.

"What are you doing here? How dare you hurt her, Father!"

"She is quite unharmed, Dirk. She did more damage to herself than anything," Atchison said with annoyance. "An unfair amount. I demand a rematch."

"I have never met such a sore winner," Severus told Corey.

"I lost! Now I can never see you again," Nancy murmured, still sobbing softly.

"What! You mean he challenged you to duel to keep you from seeing me? But that isn't a fair fight!" Dirk snapped angrily.

"It wasn't a fair fight, but I didn't challenge her, Dirk. She challenged me," Atchison said.

"Regardless of who challenged whom, it was a fair fight. Had it not been, I would have told you, since I was refereeing it," Severus said. "Her becoming a victim to her own potion is no different than had one of your spells backfired and knocked you out. Had that happened, it would have gone in her favor."

"I slipped on my own potion. I had forgotten it was there because he was standing on it easily," she explained to Dirk forlornly.

"There, you see?" Atchison said. "Quite unfair."

"I am not responsible for her forgetfulness, Atchison, so be a good sport and take her hand and tell her that she fought well," Severus ordered.

"Come anywhere near her, and I shall challenge you myself!" Dirk warned him furiously.

"Perhaps we ought to leave them," Corey suggested. "After all, she did fight well, Muggle or not. At least have the decency to let them say goodbyes in peace."

"She did fight well," Atchison acknowledged as he watched them. "But she is no Muggle. She is a Havener," he declared. Nancy looked around to see a strange expression on his face; serious and yet no longer condescending. "She understands magic, uses it to the best of her ability, and isn't afraid to stand up and fight for what she believes in. And if any of my peers dare to say anything about my daughter-in-law being a Muggle, I will be very quick to put them in their place."

Nancy and Dirk stared at him in disbelief until Nancy suddenly pulled out of Dirk's arms and ran over to hug his father, laughing and yet still crying at the same time.

"Good lord, she's quite an emotional thing, isn't she?" Atchison said, looking quite uncomfortable as he patted her unsurely.

"Thank you, Father," Dirk said stiffly. "Does this mean I am no longer restricted from Hogsmeade?"

"No, I do not think that will be necessary any longer," Atchison said.

"May I walk her home then?" Dirk said, glancing at the Headmaster who looked less than pleased about the request.

"The school rules clearly state that the student may not leave the school premises except for school business with the sole exception of personal visits with family…" Severus began.

"That's all right, Headmaster, the girl is almost family. I will follow them over and make certain he comes back to the school afterwards," Atchison said. "I'll meet you at the Pigs Pannage, Dirk. I think we are overdue for a talk."

"Yes, sir," Dirk said.

"Now, if you don't mind excusing me," Atchison said to the girl still hugging him warmly. Nancy smiled at him apologetically and then walked over to Dirk's side. As the two walked out, Atchison looked around defensively, wondering if he had appeared too soft on them. "I will be leaving now. You may consider the matter settled."

"Very well. I trust your judgment as far as the welfare of your son is concerned," Severus said, ignoring the fact that Corey raised his eyebrows at that.

"As you should," Atchison said evenly before turning and walking out the door.

"Not even a 'thank you,'" Corey said with a chuckle.

"For what? Manipulating him to come here in the first place?" Severus pointed out.

"Did you know? That he would relent even if she lost," Corey asked.

"If he had won on the very first attack, I don't think he would have, no. But I knew if Atchison came to respect her as an opponent, that the battle… the true battle… would favor the girl. He came to realize in the course of that fight that just because she was different didn't mean she was any less capable of standing up for herself," Severus said.

"Well, yes, I suppose, but I wouldn't call it a complete win, either," Corey said, Severus raising his brow quizzically. "He acknowledged her as a Havener…and granted, that is how she sees herself. But he was simply defining her in a way he could accept her; he doesn't see those born without magic any more equal than when he came in here."

"No, I suppose not, but now he has a way to gain that insight," Severus said. "He had to open a window to acknowledge her, and it will give him the incentive to open it further one day… just as Jennifer and myself did, when we let a Muggle boy with insane magic powers into our lives one summer."

"I know perfectly well that a lot of other things happened that changed your outlooks on that. I only played a small part in it overall," Corey said with a knowing smile.

"Perhaps, but much of it would never have occurred if we hadn't taken that first step. I believe the same can be said for Kris Atchison, now. It'll be a long road, but at least he's on the right one, now," Severus said.

"Are you ever going to get some sleep?" Jennifer called out from the doorway, the two of them looking up. "Hello, Corey! Why, you look exhausted as well!"

"I was up all night putting Nancy's cloak together," Corey chuckled. "But at least I can say it was worth it."

"So it went well, then?" Jennifer asked hopefully.

"Jennifer, do you remember that old argument of mine that Romeo and Juliet would have both lived had he had a better alchemist?" Severus said.

"Yes, of course," Jennifer said.

"I believe I finally proved my point," Severus said.

"Does that mean you'll finally go to bed?" Jennifer asked.

"Goodnight," Corey said quickly, giving his mother a quick peck on the cheek on his way out the door.

"You know, Severus, when you asked my father to take Quintin for a few days, I didn't know you were going to spent all your time working on your school projects," Jennifer teased.

"Dirk's welfare was hardly a school project," Severus protested, taking a moment to take down the magic field and put the gym back in order. "Nancy proved to Kris that she was not willing to give up no matter what he did, and in the process earned some begrudging respect. Dirk will be able to graduate without any more interference from me, although I have a feeling he is going to have his hands full when the rest of the Slytherins get back. They are not likely to be very kind to their chosen representative when they find out about it."

"I'm sure Dirk will handle it, Severus, and without any more talk of running," Jennifer said, taking him by the arm. "So what's next on your agenda? Getting ready for the second half of the term, I suppose."

"No, I think I'll hold off on that for now," Severus decided. "I have cleared my schedule until my tea with Dumbledore on Saturday. Until then, I have every intention of spending what time I can afford with my wife for a change."

"Oh? Then I suppose I should check my own diary to see if I am free," Jennifer said coyly. Severus squinted at her.

"Shall I arrange for you to organize OWLS and NEWTS instead this year?" Severus suggested.

"That is not fair, Severus," Jennifer scolded him. "No mixing professional with personal. Besides, it's not my turn."

"No, it's my turn," Severus said, but Jennifer didn't even have to look to figure out he was talking about something entirely different. Smiling enigmatically at him, she turned and walked up the stairs ahead of him.

"Do you suppose Quintin and Leu miss us?" Jennifer asked on their way up.

"Don't you dare start," Severus said with a warning growl, and Jennifer quickened her pace to get a few more steps ahead of him.


	35. Maurice's Secret

_A/N Fixed miscellaneous typos and some grammar throughout this book thus far, chapters 1-34... plus here's a chapter. Thanks for reading!_

Thirty-Five

Maurice's Secret

"Must you dress for dinner _every_ night?" Cain complained as they went back to their rooms.

"Doesn't everyone?" Maurice asked.

"No, we never do," Cain said.

"Only on birthdays," Garvan said.

"We do, but only when there is company," Max said.

"Same as us," Leu agreed. "But that said, we are a bit of a mess after cleaning up all of that snow in the yard, and we are going out tonight."

"All that work and no time to actually play anything," Cain agreed in annoyance.

"And we'll be too busy reading tomorrow to go out," Max added with a grin.

"Tomorrow? Not a chance. The moment I get my book, I am starting on it. I'm going to read it all night until I'm done with it," Garvan declared. "No one is going to spoil the ending this time."

"Same here," Maurice decided, straightening his robes. "I think I'm ready."

"So am I," Leu agreed.

"Yes, but your hair is a mess," Maurice decided.

"It always looks like that," Max snorted.

"I don't see what's wrong with it," Leu said, staring in the mirror.

"You look like you have a mop on your head," Cain decided. "Let's see if we can fix it."

It took nearly the entire container of hair slick to get it down, and by the time they had finished, not a strand was out of place. Leu stared in the mirror glumly, feeling like he we wearing a helmet on his head and wishing it was truly the case. The rest of the boys stood next to the mirror, gazing at him critically.

"I think I liked it better the other way," Maurice decided.

"It won't be that easy to reverse," Max said.

"He looks like a mortician," Garvan said.

"I never knew his head was shaped like that," Cain said. Just then, they heard Fleur's voice call up the stairs. "Too late to change it now. At least it looks neat."

"Well, sort of," Maurice said, using a spell to clean the grease off Leu's collar the best he could. "It does look darker though, doesn't it?"

"I still think he looks like a mortician," Garvan said as they walked down the stairs and down the hall towards the dining room.

As they walked into the room, Fleur, Thomas and even Quintin stared at Leu, Fleur covering her mouth in surprise. Thomas took it all in for a moment, his face blank but his lip was twitching slightly while he tried to decide how to react.

"Dare I ask?" Thomas said flatly.

"My hair was sticking up. It isn't anymore," Leu explained, walking over to his chair.

"That's the understatement of the year." Thomas said. "Just how much of that hair tonic did you use on your poor nephew, Maurice?"

"Half the bottle, I suppose. Perhaps a little more," Maurice admitted.

"That was not very nice, Maurice! You are only supposed to use a drop of that at a time!" Fleur tsked.

"We tried a drop, but he ended up needing more than that," Cain said. "But look how straight and tame it is now!"

"Tame? That's not tamed, that's petrified and pickled," Thomas said.

"Do not worry, Thomas, I will see about fixing it after dinner," Fleur said, and began uncovering trays of eels stuffed with a seaweed stuffing, cooked cabbage, mashed pumpkin, and a creamed leek soup with a smattering of fresh herbs floating on top. Some of the boys weren't so sure what to make of the stuffing, but Leu immediately tried it, having recognized the smell at once.

"So, what do you think? I just found that recipe today and I thought you might like it, Llewellyn," Fleur said with a smile.

"I do like it, it reminds me of the ocean," Leu decided. "Is it always served cold?"

"Cold?" Fleur said with surprise, feeling the serving dish. "No, it wasn't supposed to be. How very odd! It does not even seem to be warm!"

"Try the soup, it tends not to cool down as fast," Thomas suggested.

"It still tastes fine," Leu insisted, even though some of the other boys were busy passing around the bread and sticking to the safer choice of pumpkin, even though it was a bit tepid as well.

"Perhaps my serving set needs to be charmed again," Fleur said. "After all, I did get them from my sister when we were first married. Do you remember?"

"Maybe it's just a fluke," Thomas said, offering Quintin some mashed pumpkin. "This is just the temperature you like, isn't it, Quintin?" The baby ate it without complaint. "So what are your plans for tonight?"

"The boys want to go to an all-night book party at Flourish and Blotts tonight," Fleur said.

"Well, I suppose being locked in a book shop is safe enough; I highly doubt the vampires would be foolish enough to try and attack a crowd that size," Thomas said, glancing at his watch. "Colette, take over feeding Quintin for me. I need to finish my own dinner and go." The baby spoon suddenly seemed to pick itself up, filling up with mash and zigzagging to get Quintin's attention before planting itself in his mouth.

"You have to work tonight?" Maurice said with a frown.

"I am working with Harry to try and find evidence to prove old pruneface let the vampires in. Considering she's a Minister, the evidence has to be surmountable," Thomas grunted. "And since Harry is having to work the dusk to dawn shift these days, I have to go in to meet with him."

"Why not just hint to the media she might have done it?" Garvan said. "The papers don't care about evidence, they'll go right to the jugular anyhow."

"A very good point," Thomas said thoughtfully. "Well worth considering. Not considering Ministry work, are you?"

"I don't know what I want to do yet, but I rather don't think so," Garvan said.

"Good. I would stay away from it, if I were you," Thomas advised, getting up. "Good night, have a good New Year's Eve, don't wait up," he added, kissing Fleur on the cheek.

"Take care, Thomas, keep safe," Fleur said.

"Don't I always? Good night, Maurice," Thomas added.

"Have a good evening, Father," Maurice said.

"Keep an eye on Quintin, gentlemen. I am going to go warm this up for you real quick," Fleur told them, taking the tray of stuffed eels and cooked cabbage with her.

"Why do you suppose your father said that?" Garvan asked the moment Fleur was in the kitchen.

"I think Father is afraid that if you went into Ministry work that your grandfather would try to take advantage of you. He likes you and doesn't want to see you get hurt, that's all," Maurice said.

"My grandfather wouldn't take advantage of me," Garvan said, playing with his mashed pumpkin.

"He might. He takes advantage of your father often enough," Maurice said.

"Here we are, nice and hot this time," Fleur said, effectively ending the conversation as she put the serving trays back down. Then she gasped. "Why, Maurice! I thought I asked you to watch your nephew!" she scolded him. The boys turned to see that Quintin was covered in mash and looked quite pleased with himself. "Colette, where are you?"

"_Je suis ici,_ _Madame,"_ Colette said, the House Elf appearing out of nowhere with a spoon glued to her nose. "I think the young master is finished eating now."

"I cannot turn my eyes from you even for a moment, can I?" Fleur said with exasperation, taking out her wand and pointing it at the baby with swirling movements. Quintin watched the wand with fascination, but didn't appear any cleaner. "Oh, goodness, what is the matter with my wand?"

"Do you want me to go get mine?" Maurice asked.

"No, no, you boys finish eating and get ready for the outing. I will clean him up myself," Fleur decided, holding the boy at arm's length in an attempt to save her dress. Max and Maurice both glanced at the clock on the mantle.

"So how long does it take to clean up a baby that messy without magic?" Max asked. Maurice shrugged, and at a glance the others did as well.

They weren't surprised when it took a while. They hadn't counted on the fact that afterwards, Fleur had to clean herself up as well. By the time she was ready, all of the boys were standing by the kitchen fireplace, watching the clock and looking both anxious and bored at the same time.

"All right! Let us be off!" Fleur said at last when she came into the room. "Once you get there, do try to stay together. I suppose it will be very busy."

"So you're not staying?" Maurice asked.

"Only for an hour or two to make sure you're settled and behaving, then I'm going to your father's private room at the Cauldron so that Quintin can have a lie down until it's time to take you home," Fleur said. "It will be crowded enough full of boys trying to get those books, I'm sure you won't want us in the way. Now, come along!"

The rest of the shops on Diagon Alley had for the evening, and the only people left in the alley were rushing to Flourish and Blotts to get inside before curfew. Inside, it was warm and quite loud, filled with children and adults alike who were clamoring to get the new book. Quite a number of them were dressed as their favorite characters, and in various corners of the room were themed games and trivia contests, marked off with tables with candles and streamers.

"Nice layout!" Garvan said.

"They even have the Potion Lab of Death set up in the back serving drinks and things," Max said, impressed.

"I suppose if we have to wait a few more hours, there's plenty to do at least," Leu decided.

"Hang on, first thing's first. Let's go sign in at the desk," Maurice said.

"I hope we're not dead last. We were rather late getting here," Cain said worriedly.

"Look, they're playing invisibility cards over there, just like the ones Gap has in book three," Max said, pointing out several round tables where eight boys were focused in a heated contest.

"Hopefully, it'll still be going when we get out of this line," Max said.

"Well, I don't need to wait for it. So I think I'll get a drink," Garvan decided.

"Good job, thanks for not rubbing it in that you don't have to wait," Cain said.

"Oh, could you see if there are any tables free while you are over there?" Fleur asked when Garvan passed.

"I'll help find you a place to sit," Leu immediately volunteered, going along with him.

"What a strange fuss over a silly children's book!" Fleur declared, amazed at the large crowd in spite of herself. But finally, she heard Leu and Garvan calling out to her and managed to get over to the small table so that she could sit with Quintin and watch the excitement from there.

"Murphy," said a voice from the crowd, and Leu turned around.

"Oh, hi, Keif. So you're here for the new Wizards of MC book too?" Leu asked.

"Obviously. Why else would anyone be in this mess tonight," Keif said. "Wanna team up for the Trapping the Halls game over there? Don and Beth have the high score on it, and I'd love to bump them down a notch just on principle."

"Go ahead and run along, Llewellyn, we will be quite fine here," Fleur said.

"We'll be over by the cards table when you're done," Garvan said, trying to get his drink down as quickly as possible. Leu nodded and the two wandered off to the other side of the room.

"Hello Fleur! Hello, little brother," greeted Corey, stepping out of the crowd, dressed in a flashy red robe and a floppy black hat. Quintin stared at him uncertainly.

"Hello Corey! Goodness, who are you supposed to be?" Fleur laughed.

"Professor Frumpet, I'm here to foil any and all attempts of the Meglomaniacs Club," Corey chuckled.

"Oh. Does that mean you're a bad guy, then?" Fleur asked.

"As I understand it from Charles, there is an ongoing debate about that one," Corey grinned. "This book is supposed to clear that up. I take it you got talked into bringing Maurice?"

"Yes, and all of his friends who are staying with us," Fleur explained.

"So you have a full house too? I bet you'll be as glad for school to start as I am," Corey grinned.

"Oh no, they've been good boys… and it has been so good for Leu to be around other boys his age. He so wants to understand them, but it is like a meeting of people from other worlds at times," Fleur said. "And he is so serious!"

"True, but he also doesn't seem to get offended very easily, and he's an intent listener so kids don't mind him around," Corey said. "I'm glad you got him out of the castle for a while… not to mention giving this little Snape some freedom away from his mother."

"Ma-wa!" Quintin said unhappily, bending over and stretching as if to reach something.

"You see? Even he is too attached," Corey chuckled.

"No, no… Ma-wa is what he calls Maurice," Fleur said, looking around. "I wonder where he is? Perhaps he is still in line."

"It's all right, I'll go find him and let him know that he's being paged," Corey chuckled. But when Corey walked away, Quintin got even squirmier, still stretching his hands out towards a corner of books.

"Ma-wa!" Quintin mumbled again and began to cry.

"Why, Quintin! This is not like you at all!" Fleur said, holding him comfortingly. "Perhaps you are getting tired? But it is still early! Is it the crowd?" She got up then, staring at the corner that Quintin was stretching for until she finally went over to it. But no one was in that part of the room at all; it seemed to be all classical wizard poetry. A book was on the ground… possibly having fallen off a small table nearby. "How very strange…" Fleur murmured, gazing at Quintin. He still had tears in his eyes and was staring at her as if expecting her to do something. "Why do I suddenly feel like Maurice is in trouble?"

"But he was just here a moment ago…" Fleur heard Cain say and looked up to see Corey talking with him. "He got his number just before I did, and boy was he annoyed when he saw how long we have to wait, so he said he was going to find another book to read in the meantime."

"Like anyone could possibly find another book in here," Max said.

"Maybe he just went to the bathroom?" Cain suggested.

"It's behind the drink stand. We would have noticed," Corey sighed.

"He isn't here! My Maurice isn't here! Something terrible has happened to him!" Fleur suddenly said in a panic. "Someone has taken him! I must tell Thomas! He is at work!"

"I'm sure he's here somewhere," Leu said.

"He might be… but if he isn't, every second counts," Corey said seriously, striding over to the door. The moment he stepped through it, he pulled out a flare revolver, letting out a shot.

"Hullo, what's the word? What's with the sparkler?" asked an RBF floating down on a broom.

"Get word to the Ministry and let them know that Maurice Craw is missing," Corey barked, pulling out a mirror. "Rel? We have a missing uncle."

* * *

"There will be no argument. We will be doing this my way," Ludo said firmly. For once, Amadeus was on his side, standing close by him while Nelson looked at them both in irritation and apparent disgust.

"If he knows you have no intention of harming him, he will never talk!" Nelson snapped.

"He doesn't have to know that I've no intention of harming him," Ludo said easily back. "Either way, let's see what he knows and then send him back before he is missed."

Maurice heard voices in his head and felt a strange taste on his lips. The voices swam until one voice seemed clearer than the others. He batted it away in annoyance and opened his eyes. Beside him on the floor was the book on Mallus Craw he had picked up… no, it wasn't a book at all, he realized with a moan. It was a Portkey that someone must have put on the table when his back was turned… left specifically to get his curiosity up.

"Our guest seems to be waking," said a smooth voice… the same voice he had been hearing in his head. A figure in a hooded cloak knelt beside him, and although most of his face was concealed, his red eyes stared into his as if attempting to shackle his soul. "Come now. Sit up and let us question you freely. You have nothing but to obey me."

"You might as well give it up," Maurice said, resisting the urge to scoot back but rubbing his aching head gently. "No matter what you gave me and what you say, I can resist most charms."

"It's that mixed Veela blood of his," a tall wizard with a gentile accent said. "I told you it wouldn't work."

"Do not give up so easily," a broader wizard cautioned, stepping behind the kneeling one. "You would be wise to cooperate, Craw. If you haven't noticed, you are at a disadvantage at the moment and the wizards that accompany are capable of doing anything."

"And willing," said the tall wizard. "Shall I demonstrate?"

"Not yet, War," the broader wizard said. "We have not yet learned if he is willing to cooperate or not. You see, Maurice, it is in War's nature to resort to violence as a solution. He can't help himself any more than Famine here can help wanting to own and claim you for a meal," he said. "But I am Death… and at the moment I have the power to take your life, or allow you to live it for a while, depending on your answer to a single, simple question."

"I see," Maurice said, pushing himself up on his hands, taking a moment to look for his wand on the ground, but it didn't seem to be there. "What sort of question?"

"Who is the Minister of Mysteries?" Death asked.

"I don't know," said Maurice evenly. Famine squinted.

"He lies, but his thoughts have clouded," Famine said.

"I know he lies. You know perfectly well who it is, Craw, and you are not leaving here until you tell us who that is," Death warned.

"Get used to me being here, then," Maurice said.

"Perhaps I should just drain him and turn him into a servant. He'll have to comply if he's dead," Famine suggested.

"Surely even a vampire wouldn't be stupid enough to harm me. My father is already going to be angry when he finds out I'm missing. If any harm comes to me, he'll go quite insane," Maurice said. "You'll all die horrible deaths by his hand if you don't leave me be."

"He isn't going to cooperate," Conquest said nervously. "Perhaps we should go ahead and Obliviate him and send him back."

"Not until I get my answer," Death growled.

"Perhaps I can persuade him? I am not afraid of Thomas Craw," said War. "And I know a lovely spell that dislocates arms and legs from their sockets… it's quite effective at getting people to talk."

"Do it, then," Maurice challenged him.

"You act brave now, but I seriously doubt you would feel that way if I let War and Famine loose on you," Death said.

"I'm not afraid of pain and I'm not afraid of you," Maurice said.

"You are not immune to fear, Craw," Famine said in a voice barely above a whisper. Although his words were soft, something powerful was building behind them.

A wave of dread and remorse hit Maurice… much like it had that night at Hogwarts, but now it seemed more personal. When the vampire's eyes looked at him again, his heart started pounding and he felt as if he were being pulled into a gaze, in which he could see no reflection of himself. There was no soul behind that gaze; it was empty and heartless, seeing the boy as nothing but a potential corpse to feed from. Who the vampire was looking at was quite inconsequential… all he saw was a primitive creature; one who was destined to die anyway, as all living things died.

And then… and then what? A sinking feeling went through Maurice. He had never questioned whether or not he had a soul before; his parents had always been so certain of it. But what if he didn't have a soul? What if things just… ended? What if nothing he did mattered at all? A wave of panic went through him, but quickly he forced it down. No… even if the worst were true, the family would still carry on well past his death, and everything he had been and believed in would live through them… even if the Craw named died with him, the line would live on strong in the Snapes, and he was quite certain that the Craw legacy would never be forgotten. Even if life ended, the family had gone on strong for a thousand years and would keep going indefinitely. Everything he believed it was tied up in it; it was if the family itself had its own soul… and if the Craw family had a soul, he certainly did as well. As long as the family was safe, he had nothing to fear.

The four men watched the boy when he closed his eyes and began to breathe heavy, sweat appearing on his forehead. But quite unexpectedly, his breathing began to slow and his shoulders suddenly relaxed, opening his eyes a moment later with a thin, triumphant smile on his face.

"I am not afraid of my mortality," Maurice said proudly, then glanced at Death. "But you are, aren't you?"

"No, don't!" Conquest said when he saw Death grab his wand.

"_Avada Kedav!" _Death intoned, stopping just short of finishing it while pointing his wand a mere inch from Maurice's nose. But Maurice simply stared at him without flinching.

"He has his father's nerve," War said, impressed in spite of himself. "And as such, you should have finished him off."

"I think we should send him back before someone starts wondering where he is," Conquest said.

"Would you please stop sniveling!" War snapped at him.

"He's not going back until he tells us who the Minister is," Death said firmly. "Bring out the Veritaserum."

"What? Why didn't you simply use that from the beginning?" Conquest asked.

"Because if the alchemist who made this even remotely suspects we were planning to use it on a Craw or Snape, it is quite possible that this potion is also toxic," War said, pulling out the bottle.

"Sludgebat," Maurice said with certainty, looking guarded as the tall wizard stepped forward.

"Don't give him more than a drop, War. I want to make sure we can counter whatever else he put in it. Better yet, let me do that," Death decided, taking the potion out of War's hand.

"Does it really matter _when_ he dies at this point?" War said with exasperation.

"All in proper order," Death said, taking the stopper off the bottle and kneeling beside the boy.

But Maurice had been waiting for any opportunity, and the moment that Death came in range he made grab for the bottle, wrestling it away and putting it to his lips in an attempt to drink the entire thing. But the wizard quickly recovered, smacking it away before the boy could actually take a sip and getting into such a wrestling match with him that the contents spilled out over their robes and the bottle went spinning to the floor.

"So it was poisoned," Conquest said, glancing at War. "Look at the stain; it's the wrong color." War exhaled in annoyance.

"You foolish boy! Weren't you paying attention at all? You could have killed yourself!" Death snapped at him.

"If I'm going to die anyway, I'll do it on my own terms. I'll die before I tell you who the Minister is," Maurice said venomously.

"Enough of this, let's kill him and get the information from someone else," War said.

"Yes, I agree, and can we torture him first, perhaps?" Famine suggested hopefully.

But Death held up a hand and slowly stood up, gazing at the boy with strange, ghostly eyes as if he had never seen him before.

"I think I'm beginning to understand now," Death said, his voice strangely calm. "This boy is perhaps too defiant. He is so determined to keep this secret, even at the cost of his own life. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"Not for a Craw," War snorted.

"Not for a Craw who feels that someone in his family is threatened, you mean," Death said, Maurice's face immediately losing all color. "You seem quite loyal to the Minister of Mysteries, Maurice. Inexplicably loyal to the point of sacrifice… but that makes no sense. Why would such a young boy care so much about politics that he's willing to lose his life over it? No, there must be some other reason; and the only logical reason is that the Minister must be someone you're related to. And now that I know that, I know exactly who it is."

"Aurelius Snape?" Conquest guessed.

"Far too obvious," Death snorted. "It would not be someone that the public already looks to when they want answers, and Aurelius is in some quarters just as respected as Potter is. It is more likely that the Minister is someone the general public feels is inconsequential or docile… perhaps someone who has some bad habits that the public would discount her from the role… namely, her apparent air-headedness and being prone to public outbursts on subjects she shouldn't be talking about. It would have to be someone who, despite a lack of title, seems to roam the Ministry freely and visits the Minister of Magic on a daily basis. Someone who answers to such vague job descriptions as Muggle lobbyist or freelance translator… and yet when things go wrong she is always in the middle of it. Always."

"Are you saying that the Minister of Magic is Alexandria Clemmons?" Conquest said in disbelief. Maurice looked down, his face dark and angry at himself. Death nodded both at Maurice's reaction and at his own conclusion.

"I am quite certain of it," Death said. War suddenly chuckled softly.

"Then you need not worry about the Minister anymore, Death. I already have a way to contain her," War said with a thin yet triumphant smile.

"Maybe it'd be better if you tell him later, after we've put Maurice back," Conquest suggested, getting out his wand. "Don't you think it's high time we sent him back to the book shop?"

"Of course, Conquest. Go ahead and fix his memories," Death agreed. "Erase everything after the moment he touched the book."

"All right," Conquest said, getting out his wand.

"No, I won't let you!" Maurice shouted, dodging the spell and charging Death, grabbing the wand out of his hand.

Before anyone could react, Maurice turned the wand around and a screeching sound blasted out of the wand. The vampire immediately fell to the ground in apparent anguish, while Conquest and War both struggled to shield themselves from the Shrieking Death spell. But it was what happened to the fourth one that shocked Maurice into stopping, for the figure had barely had begun to scream when he seemed to disintegrate. His robes puddled onto the floor along with his gloves, boots and cloak, the only reminders that someone had been standing there.

"Oh, great. He's going to be furious when he gets back," Conquest said after dispelling his Sonorous Shield.

"He's… not dead?" Maurice asked.

"Of course not, you stupid fool! You can't kill him that way!" War snapped, and then turned to the other wizard. "Now, finish your job and get that boy back where he belongs, or so help me I will kill him, I don't care what Death thinks about it!"

"He still has a wand…" Conquest said out of the side of his mouth.

"So do you!" War snapped back.

Suddenly there was a strange sound right outside the door like a roaring dragon. Quickly Maurice backed away from the door, using the distraction to his advantage.

"Intruders!" Famine shouted, and War immediately Disapparated.

"_Obliviate!"_ Conquest intoned. Maurice had been busy messing with something in his pocket and didn't have time to block, staggering and falling to the floor just as Aurelius and a small posse burst into the door.

"To the horses!" War said and Disapparated, Conquest following close behind. The room was immediately bathed in blinding sunlight in hopes of catching Foncé on the way out, but when the light returned to normal only Maurice was standing there, looking quite dazed and holding on loosely to a wand.

"Are you all right?" Corey asked, going straight over to his side. Danny hurried up along side them, her face unusually grim.

"I…I guess so. What's going on?" Maurice asked in confusion. "I was… I was at the bookstore. What am I doing here?"

"That prick, this time I am going to kill him!" Corey swore. "I know what that roar means. I can't believe he's actually one of them!"

"At least he's not related to you," Danny snapped.

"Later… we can sort this out at the Ministry, but right now we need to get Maurice to safety and help Harry and the others with those vampires out front," Aurelius said. "Alicia, get him out of here, we'll meet you at Mungos in ten minutes."

"Right," Alicia agreed.

"Wait… what about my book?" Maurice protested as she drew a picture in the air with her wand.

"Mungos first, book later," Alicia said, asking for his hand.

"Come on, let's go get the others," Danny said. "I think I've had my fill of adventure for one night."

"With any luck, so have the vampires that we had to fight to get in here," Aurelius said, readying his wand before leading them back out of the room.

Curiously enough, it was Minister Malfoy waiting for them at the hospital, gesturing them into a room and leaving a pair of guards at the door. Then he nodded to Alicia, and the two of them walked to the reception area where Fleur and Jennifer were waiting.

"He's here. He looks all right," Alicia said.

"Oh, Maurice!" Fleur said with relief before hurrying to the back.

"You can go tell Potter and the LE Minister what happened now," Draco told Percy.

"He's going to be furious," Percy said, quite reluctant to leave.

"If he bellows about it, tell him to yell at me," Draco said.

"That won't guard me against is initial reaction, though, will it?" Percy muttered, then walked out the door.

"Where did they find him?" Jennifer asked.

"Foncé's residence up north… rather, it was more like a small fortress," Alicia said. "No paintings or photos at all, of course. We had to break our way in."

"Lovely. Did your brother have permission with the local authority first?" Draco asked.

"Easily. They hate the Marquis," Alicia said with amusement.

"Who doesn't?" Draco said flatly. Just outside there was a sudden commotion as several people started talking at once. Draco looked up to see Aurelius walk in, followed by Corey, Danny, Taylor, Doug, and Tonks. "This is who you brought with you?" he said with obvious disapproval.

"You know perfectly well that my department is short-handed. There was well over a dozen vampires there, and all of them were wizards as well," Aurelius said. "Besides, you wouldn't let me tell Harry…"

"Potter was with your grandfather, and I certainly wasn't going to give Craw permission to go over to another country and blast half the village looking for him. This simply saved me from having to fire him," Draco said. "Did you kill Foncé?"

"No, he and the other Horsemen got away," Aurelius said. "But we now know for certain who three of them are; Foncé, Nelson, and Longbottom." Draco glanced over at Danny, who simply nodded at him.

"Well, I have to admit I'm not surprised about my uncle, especially considering the horses," Draco said. "But who is stupid enough to enlist Longbottom in this? I admit he's devious, but he's obviously a known bungler whose only concern is the care and safety of his own ass."

"I can think of two reasons they might include him," Aurelius said with a sigh. "Money, and the fact that he's the one that taught them all the Synchronius spell."

"I taught Amadeus that spell," Jennifer said distantly.

"Now, don't start, Jennifer, you can't blame yourself every time a student you taught turns into a nutter. Besides, it sounds like he's had plenty of help getting there," Draco said. "I bet Nelson has been pushing him every step of the way. What about the fourth? Who is he?"

"I don't know, but whoever it is, he was the one using the proxy device because despite the fact he wasn't in the room when we got there, there was a suspicious pile of robes on the floor and Maurice had a wand on him that didn't seem to belong to anyone," Aurelius explained. "And I also think whoever the fourth is, he or she is probably the leader. I can't see Nelson taking orders from Foncé, or the other way around."

"The question is, who would impress either of them with enough power that they'd accept such leadership?" Draco asked.

The entry doors burst open, and this time they came right off their hinges as Thomas Craw stormed in with a cold, murderous anger floating in his eyes.

"Where is my son? Why wasn't I informed immediately that he had been kidnapped?" Thomas demanded.

"Corey was on hand and began to muster family resources immediately. Since Aurors have authority outside the country under certain circumstances, it was important to get Aurelius mobile and his posse temporary permissions to act at his command so that they could get him back as quickly as possible," Draco said calmly.

"Then why wasn't Harry informed?" Thomas challenged him.

"Because he was with you," Draco said simply, and then noticed someone watching the exchange. "News, Bliant?"

"He's perfectly fine if you want to see him… no injuries, at least not physically," Bliant said.

"Just what do you mean by that?" Thomas asked, squinting.

"Mild amnesia caused by an Oblivious spell. Quite minor; he simply doesn't recall anything happened between the bookstore and when Corey spoke with him. He's a bit confused about the event, but quite untraumatized," the doctor explained.

"But should he be?" Thomas said, and then hit his hand against the wall. "Damnit! That Longbottom got another one of my children with that spell!"

"Yes, but now it's illegal," Draco said calmly. "He's guilty of breaking his parole ten times over, and if that wasn't enough, if they're responsible for initiating this war, all four of them are guilty of high treason."

"That's an automatic death sentence," Harry said.

"Yes, that does sound appealing… but first we have to catch the bastards, and for some reason I doubt we'll find them at home after tonight," Thomas said, following Bliant down the corridor.

When Thomas came in, Maurice was sitting on the bed looking rather restless, while Fleur was talking to him soothingly.  
"Good, Father is here. Does that mean I can go back to my friends?" Maurice asked.

"That's a good question… just where are the rest of them?" Thomas asked.

"Andrew is watching the older ones at the shop, and Quintin has gone back to the school," Fleur said.

"Damn. Now see what trouble you've caused?" Thomas grunted. "How did they get you, anyway?"

"I… I remember seeing an odd book about Mallus Craw and then…" Maurice paused, distractedly putting his hand in his pocket. "Then I saw Corey, and I felt all flushed and had a weird wand in my hand."

"Sounds like a Portkey," Harry murmured from the doorway. "I had something like that happen to me, only… how could they be so sure that Maurice was the one that would pick it up? Mallus Craw book or not, that place was packed. Anyone might have gotten curious."

"Someone in the bookshop put it there," Thomas growled. "They must have been watching closely for an opportune moment."

"I'll send Rel down there to see if he can pick anything up," Harry suggested.

"Perhaps he could pick up my book?" Maurice put in hopefully.

"Send Corey in on your way out, Harry," Thomas said.

"You're supposed to be visiting your son, not turning it into an investigation," Bliant said.

"Did you need me, Grandfather?" Corey asked, excusing himself so that he could get by Morfinn.

"Did you find out anything about the wand?" Thomas asked.

"Well, it isn't registered," Corey said. "It's a basic wand that looks like it was made as a backup such as you can order out of a catalog…standard twelve and a half, practically anyone could use it. Your son seems to have had little trouble using it at any rate."

"Oh? What was the last spell cast?" Thomas asked.

"Shrieking Death," Corey said with certainty. Thomas glanced at him in surprise then turned and stared at his son, who also seemed quite surprised.

"Father, I didn't cast that," Maurice said.

"Evidence would seem to point otherwise," Thomas said. "What is that strange shimmer coming from your pocket?"

"Shimmer?" Maurice said, pulling out something wrapped around his fingers. "Oh, I thought it was just a loose string or something."

"It's a memory strand!" Fleur said in amazement, while Thomas looked quite triumphant.

"He must have gotten wind of their plan to erase his memory and taken precautions," Corey said. "We'd better transfer it to a Pensieve. I should still have an empty one left in my cloak," Corey said, digging in his pocket.

"Good, maybe we can get to the bottom of this," Thomas said. "Well done, Maurice!"

"Can't I simply put it back in so I know what I did to deserve it?" Maurice complained, but offered the memory up to the Pensieve the moment it was produced. Immediately, the adults in the room huddled around to inspect it, causing Maurice to sigh and lean back in resignation.

"Never mind, I guess I'll see it later," Maurice said. Instead he watched the face of his father as he watched the swirling images, growing paler and grimmer by the second. Suddenly, he looked up.

"Someone get Alexandria to the war office. And keep her there," Thomas ordered.

"Going…" Harry said immediately. "I'll warn Draco on my way out."

"Alex?" Corey repeated. "But she… but then, that explains a lot, doesn't it?"

"Wait. Don't tell me that I told them! But I'd never have betrayed anyone in my family, on pain of death!" Maurice blurted out. "Let me have my memory back! I don't believe it!"

"Fine, we'll go watch the memory together," Thomas decided. "And then you and I are going to have a bit of a talk. You didn't have to go that far to protect her, you know, considering it wasn't a life or death situation. I think she's going to be pretty upset about what you did if she finds out the whole story."  
"I want my memory back. After all, I'm the one that thought to save it," Maurice demanded.

"Come on, Maurice, let's both have a closer look," Thomas said, looking around. "Corey, you and the doctor are sworn to secrecy… and send for Jennifer, she'll need to know about this too."


	36. Questions and Mysteries

_A/N Sorry for the delay, had a crazy two weeks like you wouldn't imagine. lol I should be back on track this week. Long chapter today, mostly about Alex. Hope you like it!_

Thirty-Six

Questions and Mysteries

Somehow, as always seemed to happen any time Severus had a guest, Quintin ended up on Albus Dumbledore's lap while the two of them made themselves comfortable in the Headmaster's Study.

"You've truly made this room yours over the last few years, haven't you? Although I wouldn't have imagined the crib," Albus added mischievously.

"Neither would have I, thank you. I had no idea when I gave into Jennifer's idea of keeping him here just how much of my own time was to be spent babysitting," Severus said with annoyance. Albus laughed softly. "Although I admit it wouldn't be so troublesome if it wasn't for magic devices and even my own magic randomly giving out whenever Quintin is in the room."

"Oh? How long has that being going on?" Albus said curiously.

"Since he was born, actually. It isn't something he's consciously doing, but something that simply happens when he is around," Severus said.

"I wonder if perhaps it is your trip to the Otherworld that is to blame, Severus," Albus said, Severus looking up from the tea service with interest. "After all, you and Jennifer experienced a dramatic shift in time flow as did Quintin as well, and he was in development stages, growing quite rapidly during that strange flux of time. He was also exposed to different types of magic within that period, and considering the amount of wish magic Jennifer was using over there, that two might have caused the effect. Which one, I'm not quite sure. I rather suspect the time matter is the true culprit, however, and if so… theoretically… he'll grow out of it as he ages and develops his own sense of time, where he is, and who he is. He may even come to be more aware of time's passing than most people are if his body finds that it has to overcompensate for the discrepancies."

"Oh, is that what she meant about all being a matter of time," Severus squinted. Albus looked up at him questioningly. "Aunt Viviane hinted about something like that, about time being the key."

"Then it's more than just a theory after all," Albus decided. "And if so, you have nothing to worry about over the long run. In fact, his sense of time will probably make him very strong with Ancient Magic."

"I am not worried about the future so much. But this problem could be quite dangerous now, Albus, if magic decides to stop working around him at the wrong time," Severus pointed out.

"That is quite true, but since you are aware of it, it will be easy for you to stay alert and take precautions when it does happen," Albus said.

"Yes, there is one slight hitch to that, in that Jennifer fervently and quite stubbornly refuses to acknowledge it's happening at all," Severus said in annoyance. Albus pursed his lips. "She's so obsessed with her idea of having a 'normal' family that she utterly refuses to acknowledge anything that would disrupt her intentions… namely, anything odd that happens around Quintin or because of Quintin. She has become quite impossible on the subject, actually."

"Give her time, I'm sure she'll come around," Albus said with a smile. "She is simply trying to do what's best for Quintin, and since this temporary condition doesn't really pose a threat for him, she sees no reason to give up on her dream of raising him without the pitfalls that your other children had. And really, all things considering, you have gone out of your way this time to make sure he has had every advantage."

"Yes, and then some," Severus agreed. "He'll be spoiled rotten."

"I sincerely doubt that," Albus said with a soft chuckle. "So where is Jennifer?"

"At the Ministry again if I'm not mistaken," Severus said, glancing at his watch in confirmation. "She got called away last night because her brother went missing, although it wasn't long before she sent me a flame saying he was safe but that she needed to stay and take care of some family business."

"Really? And you're actually letting her?" Albus said in surprise, looking at him over the rim of his glasses.

"This time it is not Jennifer that I am concerned about," Severus admitted in a low voice.

* * *

It had all started that fateful year; the year that she was forced to leave her family so that her sons would not be hampered by her talent as an Omnivox. She had immediately agreed to take over the investigations on the Mallus Ring, not only to help her mother but also to find a way to fill the void of time that had been created when she no longer had an active part in the upbringing over her sons. But nosing around was something that Alexandria Snape had always had a knack for; and her work for the Ministry over the years had opened doors to her that normally would have been closed. She had used it to her advantage when she went digging for information, unaware at the time how carefully she was being watched.

It was not long after she had finished helping Harry with some clever explanations to the papers that she was finally called into Draco's office and found herself staring at a rather hefty file; her own, with everything she had nosed into for family or her own curiosity since she first started working at the Ministry. She had thumbed through it sheepishly, before finally closing the folder in resignation.

"It seems that you are suffering from a lack of having something productive to do. I am here to offer you that," Draco said. "Do you know Sal Ricks?"

"Um… yes, he works part time for the Department of Investigations for my grandfather," Alex said.

"That was only part of his job, but yes, up until December thirty-first. He decided to retire at the end of the year. He was in charge of the Ministry of Mysteries."

"Mysteries? I thought you decided to shut that down ages ago," Alex said with surprise.

"So we did to some extent. Sal went in there to fire the entire department, streamline what the Ministry has been doing, and then hire agents that were loyal to me and the Ministry, and not to Bagman and his cronies," Draco explained.

"Really? Did you actually find anyone?" Alex asked.

"That's not very funny," Draco said icily. "Especially considering how many years it's taken him to get that place weeded out. The problem is that Sal spent so much time securing the department, he didn't really get anything solved."

"Solved?"

"The Mysteries department has two main functions; the primary being, of course, solving the unsolvable… cold cases, ancient mysteries and the like, gathering information and sometimes artifacts and relics to do so. The other part of that is solving cases or gathering information in areas where all the other Ministries fear to tread… things that are too risky to be caught in public eye for some reason, or internal matters, or unpopular ones… things that no one else will dare touch."

"So it's like X-Files meets Mission Impossible! Men in Black and 007! Supernatural Investigator and Superspy!" Alex said excitedly. Draco stared at her.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, but if you do take this job I hope you won't be forever babbling like that."

"Job? What job?" Alex said.

"Minister of Mysteries, what else?" Draco said. Alex stared at him. "I'll admit I had some reservations about Potter's recommendation since from what I've seen you've always been a bit of a blabbermouth, but he, Rel, and your grandfather have all told me that you are very good at keeping secrets if you think it's important. I am going to make you swear to an Agreement of confidentiality, of course, to insure that you do. The deciding factor for me is knowing that there is no way in hell Bagman would ever be able to exert his influence on this department if you were holding it. I can't see you as the type willing to sell out your loyalties to that. I also know that you have a great deal of time on your hands these days."

"That's true," Alex said carefully, nodding as she thought about it. "So, what's in this for me?"

"You'll be paid, of course… you'll have extensive Ministry powers and will report to me directly, and you'll have access to information that you've had to go out of your way to try and get before. I don't mind you continuing to work on your pet projects for the Auror department or for your family as long as it doesn't conflict with anything that you're supposed to be doing in your own department. If anything, I have a feeling you may find it easier to solve some of your cases if you keep those ties open. Of course, you can't tell them what you're doing."

"And how am I supposed to keep that a secret from my parents? Especially my mother," Alex pointed out.

"Your brother has already agreed to help with that issue, should I appoint you," Draco said. "But I am not going to appoint you unless I feel that I can not only count on you to report to me but also show me some progress in that Ministry. Can you put things back on track?" he asked seriously.

"Yes, I rather think I can," Alex said confidently.

"Good," Draco said and sat down, opening her file again.

And so it was that Alex's life in a few short weeks had gone from hopelessness to finding a new meaning; and a job that fit her like a glove. All the questions she had, everything she wondered about or wanted to know… now she had resources to have them answered like never before.

It was rough the first few weeks getting used to all the regulations; Thomas Craw was the one who had stepped in to handle the chore of breaking her in, and he was not a gentle taskmaster. But soon she was delving into mysteries even he wasn't allowed to see, and that empowered her to settle into her job and take over full force. With a single note to one of over several dozen under her command, she could send out an inquiry to find out anything…anything at all… and often in less time than she imagined. Anything they couldn't find out ended up on her desk to look at and think about, and that suited her just fine…sometimes sending back a note with an idea they hadn't thought about, while other times getting to go out into to world to find out for herself. It was in all respects the perfect job for her; and yet one that very few would remotely suspect who was doing it.

And, she often admitted to herself, that it was easy to see how being Minister of Mysteries would go to one's head. Bagman, who had always been a mystery to her, she now understood quite clearly. Even in her own life, it wasn't long before her time at work seemed to be her only reality. The weekends at home with Ben and the children grew more and more painful as time went on… watching how attached they were getting to him and feeling like a complete stranger every time she went back and saw how much they had learned in the time that she was gone. They didn't know her now; not like they used to… it wasn't as if they even needed her anymore, except perhaps the financial support. If Ben had noticed it, he hadn't said. He was always so supportive; so comforting, and so curious to what she had been doing during the week they were apart. There wasn't much she could tell him, and often she couldn't think of much to say at all and seldom asked about how they were for fear he would further pry into her life. The comfort and support that he gave her began to feel wrong for some reason. Saturday visits began to grow shorter and strained. They didn't need her; not really. They were fine without her, and they never seemed to really miss her past the initial hug. Was it even worth trying? She did her best; after all, it was her family, and she did care about them even if she didn't feel a part of them anymore.

She did her best, that is, until that fateful day when she met Xavier again. He had come to see her brother at the hospital, and from the moment she saw him again, memories flooded back to her of their time together as teenagers. He was older now; wiser, more distinguished…and yet he gazed at her with an expression he had often given her when they were dating.

Quickly she forgot how cold he was to her at the end. He was instantly forgiven; for after all, none of that was his fault. Soon they were talking about old times and catching up on times in between. Before she knew it he was calling on her on weekdays for dinner or drinks; always disappearing on the weekends to give her space with her family. Somehow, her time with Xavier made her family seem even more distant before… and it wasn't long after that her double life grew to include Xavier as well.

After all, who would know? Rel, perhaps, but he wouldn't tell, even if he was sure to give her disapproving looks now and again. But with everything she did now being a secret and a full complement of agents to cover for her whereabouts, it was all quite easy…too easy, perhaps. But now that she was no longer lonely, she didn't miss her connection with her family anymore. She was her own person again instead of a mother or a wife, and she had great aspirations in her newfound career without the hassle of maintaining anything past a casual relationship. Ben, after all, could very well take care of himself, and as long as she could stop in long enough to see that her children were happy and well care for, she had decided that her family obligations had been fulfilled.

She was called back to the Ministry at a rather curious hour and wondered if there hadn't been some sort of vampire attack. But when Harry got her to the war office, Draco, Aurelius, and Thomas were already waiting for her to tell her the news.

"What do you mean the Horsemen know I'm the Minister of Mysteries?" Alex said with alarm, a pit immediately developing in her stomach. "Did they get one of my agents?"

"No, they took Maurice out of a bookstore and was able to deduce from his reluctance to answer that it was a family member," Thomas growled.

"Maurice? How did he know…never mind that, he knows everything. How in the world did _they_ know he knew?" Alex demanded.

"Damn good question," Draco said.

"I think that his friends all know that he knew who it was," Aurelius said. "Perhaps one of them mentioned it to the wrong person."

"Wait… Garvan is one of Maurice's friends, isn't he?" Alex said.

"That boy is nothing but a victim of being born into the wrong family. I doubt he would intentionally say anything," Thomas said.

"But what about unintentionally? Could he have seen his grandfather recently?" Alex asked.

"Christmas, more than likely," Harry said.

"Gamban isn't allowed to visit without extra supervision, so if anything odd happened during that conversation, Boltin would know about it," Thomas said. "Let me get a message to him."

"There's also little chance of him acting without a little help, and he's only allowed certain visitors," Harry reasoned. "Even if he were simply relaying messages, it would have gone through his son or his lawyer."

"That sounds like something I can check," Aurelius volunteered.

"It also might be nothing at all, and we're jumping to conclusions," Harry said.

"Well, we know that Equinox is helping the horsemen, so we need to investigate it… to rule out the possibility if nothing else," Alex said. "Assuming, of course, that he is still running the society."

"Is there anyone in this room who doubts it?" Thomas challenged her. "In fact, I'm willing to have the bastard stripped to make sure he isn't the leader of the Horsemen himself, considering the other three are in that so-called 'society.'"

"He's likely to make another legal stink if you do," Alex pointed out.

"Then I'll order him stripped myself," Draco said. "And if he complains revoke his visitation rights for a year. And while we're at it, why don't we put some sort of notice about the penalties to any organization for helping known criminals, and then list the treason charges against the Horsemen in the paper."

"Right, I can handle that," Harry agreed.

"Then we all have work to do," Draco said. "You're dismissed, I need to speak with Alex alone." Harry gave her an encouraging smile and Thomas a quick pat on the back as they and Aurelius left the room, Alex closing the door behind them.

"Am I going to get sacked?" Alex asked worriedly.

"So far, they seem to be keeping the knowledge of your identity to themselves, although there is no guarantee they'll continue to do so," Draco said. "That they see you as a threat is obvious. Perhaps they realize that Mysteries would be responsible for tracking down they spies in the Ministry and know you are a threat to uncovering them all."

"I don't mind them coming after me as long as I'm not being sacked," Alex said.

"I'm not stupid enough to sack anyone who follows my orders and does the job, there are too few of you and a despise trying to find someone else who can. But I suggest for your own sake that you start dragging down the sympathizers in the society before they decide to assassinate you. Then I'd _still_ end up having to look for a new Minister!" Draco said with annoyance.

"I think I know a way to weed them out," Alex said.

"Good," Draco said.

"It would involve… well, questioning a Minister that I can't prove had anything to do with any of this…" Alex said slowly.

"I don't care what it involves, and don't tell me about it, just do it," Draco ordered.

"Right, I'll get on that as soon as Rel gets back," Alex promised, getting up.

"Fine. And Alex?" he added just before she opened the door. "Don't say anything stupid that lets Plumeria know we're onto her. Magicless or not, she's a smart old bat."

"Yes, I know," Alex agreed, then stepped out. She exhaled deeply as she left the building, looking as if she was simply admiring the Polynesian Garden. At least he didn't plan to sack her, she thought. Curiously enough, he didn't seem very interested in sacking his cousin either, despite knowing her part in it. Of course, what proof did they really have? Then again, normally that wouldn't stop Draco from sacking someone whom he thought was not being loyal to him. Perhaps it was the family tie, she thought with annoyance, glancing at her watch before stepping into the maze. Halfway through, she took a sharp detour to what look liked a dead end.

But what no one else had figured out yet was that the maze was actually spread out over several continents; very little of it was in the Ministry at all. It was in actuality a series of Portkey Stations that folks entering the maze were walking through to get closer and closer to the island that the War Office was on twelve-and-a-half hours away from London on the opposite side of the world. But Alex had placed all the other stations quite strategically; each continent, in fact, had a dead end where one who knew the maze well enough could safely Disapparate out of and go anywhere on the planet they wished without the dangers of being splinched from going over oceans or too long of a distance. This particular one she had used quite a lot, for it the one that was located in Polaris Town.

* * *

Jeffers waited outside the stone door, cringing anytime Ludo's protests were loud enough to be heard past it. Finally Boltin opened the door, looking more than a little sheepish as the prison doctor calmly left, followed by a couple of extra guards.

"That was the most humiliating experience I have ever been put through!" Ludo spat. "I demand an explanation!"

"You know perfectly well that the prison is allowed to conduct random searches and examinations of the prisoners," Hinge said, raising his voice to be heard over Bagman.

"It does not normally include a rectal exam!" Bagman shouted angrily.

"It isn't the first time, and it won't be the last. Some prisoners will go to any lengths to high contraband," Hinge said. Jeffers slipped inside quietly, blinking when he saw Bagman standing there in a towel, in better shape than most thirty-year olds he knew.

"Now that you're convinced that I am not hiding anything, I demand to go to my room."

"It's still being searched at the moment. You can go behind that screen to get dressed," Boltin said, holding up a folded uniform. Bagman grabbed it angrily and stomped behind the screen.

"Prisoner or not, I do have some rights! Jeffers, tell him!" Bagman said, causing Hinge to glance around.

"They do have a right to random searches, but this does sound rather extreme and I notice that you don't seem to be conducting any other searches today. Did someone request this exam?" Jeffers asked.

"The LE Minister, Counselor Jeffers," Boltin said solemnly.

"On what evidence?" he asked.

"The Minister doesn't need evidence to order such an inspection, especially now that we're under a condition of war," Boltin explained.

"I don't see what the war has to do with my client, it seems to be only an excuse by the Minister to do what he likes," Jeffers said. "We have the right to launch a formal complaint."

"If you think it will do any good, be my guest, but I'm not sure Minister Malfoy will be too sympathetic," Boltin said, then glanced up at the guard that had come up to the door.

"His room appears to be clean, sir. No devices of any kind found, not even embedded in the furniture," the guard said.

"Change out the furniture anyway," Hinge snapped.

"Yes, I quite agree. Let's not take any chances," Boltin said.

"Chances against what? Exactly what is it that you're afraid of?" Bagman asked, coming out from behind the screen and eyeing them both. "I'm a full time prisoner of Azkaban with no hope of parole. Don't you have better things to do than to harass an old man doomed to die in my cell? I expect Hinge will probably even throw a party on that day."

"I expect I will," Hinge decided, leading him back to his cell.

"I suppose this means that the LE Minister's hunch was wrong this time," said the guard standing beside Boltin. "A bit out of character, isn't it?"

"Perhaps," Boltin said thoughtfully and then returned to his other duties.

Alex got up and immediately put herself together, walking out of the bedroom to find Xavier sitting in the dining room, looking over some paperwork.

"You're up early, I see," he said, glancing up briefly.

"Yes, I have to go meet Rel at the Ministry in an hour," Alex explained.

"I have a long day as well, we're testing the new flavors today," Xavier said. "I'll bring you home some caviar beans… oh, wait, it's Friday. Are you going to be here or are you staying in London tonight?"

"Friday already?" Alex groaned. "Why do Saturdays always get in my way when I'm in the middle of something?"

"Why don't you simply visit your kids tonight after work and get it over with?" Xavier suggested.

"Because if I go there on a Friday night, he's going to expect me to stay," Alex said.

"Can you blame him? He is your husband, after all," Xavier said with a soft chuckle.

"You could at least pretend to be jealous," Alex scowled.

"What, jealous of Ben? Not even remotely," Xavier said. "A Muggle taking care of two magic children, holding down an entry level job while his wife has a career that takes up most of her time, and then only visits once a week if that. I rather think he deserves a bit of pity sex now and again."

"It isn't like that," Alex snapped. "Most of the time he… just wants to spend time with me and know how I'm doing."

"And when he asks about work or how your spend your nights?" Xavier challenged her. Alex turned and grabbed her coat. "That's what I thought," Xavier chuckled. "It's all right, Alex. I like the way things are; all the benefits without all the pressure for me, and you have a place to escape to."

"Actually, I've been debating to myself whether or not I wanted a divorce," Alex admitted.

"What? Why on earth would you? It isn't as if you _need_ to, and I don't think you really want to, do you? Rather obvious to me you still have feelings for him," Xavier said, shaking his head at her.

"That's exactly why I've been thinking about it. I mean, you admitted it yourself just now… none of this is really fair for Benjamin, is it?" Alex said.

"And what about the kids? I was crushed when my parents went through their trial separation…"

"You were a teenager. They're not old enough to understand fully what's going on," Alex pointed out.

"If you ask me, that would only make it worse. And what about your Mum? I was under the impression that she doesn't believe in divorce," Xavier reminded her.

"My father isn't too keen on it either, considering he's already expressed his opinion on it," Alex grumbled. Xavier looked up from his work.

"How did he find out?" he asked flatly.

"He figured it out on his own," Alex said with a sigh. Xavier thought about it and then nodded, turning back to his work.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, he's always been a step ahead of everyone else," Xavier said. "But he also has no room to talk after that supposed sabbatical a few years ago."

"As far as he's concerned that gives him more reason," Alex said as she finished buttoning up her coat. "He wants me to tell him."

"If you do, he'll probably leave," Xavier said.

"I wouldn't blame him," Alex said evenly.

"Just as long as you don't blame yourself," Xavier said. Alex thought about it a moment.

"Just for some things," Alex said at last. "Have a good day."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Xavier said, turning back to his paperwork. Alex grabbed the key in her pocket and watched the room swirl and fade away, wishing for a moment that she could do the same.

As the world began to reorder itself and she reemerged in the reception area of the Ministry of Magic, she saw Aurelius standing by the desk with eyes that seemed to be burrowing into her. But then, that was probably because they were, she realized, grimacing noticeably before walking up to him.

"Sorry if I'm late," Alex said.

"No, I just got here. I had breakfast with Adler this morning to make sure he didn't know anything about it, being that he's in the Society as well," Aurelius said.

"It'd be too risky to tell Adler anything. Even if he wasn't loyal to grandfather, our grandfather would be immediately suspicious of any activity out of the ordinary," Alex reasoned, Aurelius nodding in agreement. "Have you heard anything back from Azkaban yet?"

"They didn't find anything… not on him or his room, or any hidden messages in his post," Aurelius said.

"He knows about this, Rel, and I don't mean just from the papers," Alex said. "I can't believe that Equinox would be involved in something this big without him knowing about it."

"Nelson could have been the one doing it," Aurelius said.

"Maybe, but… I don't know what he'd have to gain by it, and with Nelson everything is about gain," Alex said. "Come on, I suppose we'd better get started."

"Are you sure she'll let me in the room? You know how she gets," Aurelius said.

"Just let her think that she is in command and all will be well," Alex said as the two of them went down the stairs towards the Archives.

"And how do you propose we get her on the subject of the vampire raid, then?" Aurelius asked in a low voice.

"Oh, we won't need to even bother," Alex said, taking a handful of papers out of her pocket. "The woman is quite paranoid. It won't matter what I say while I'm in there. All she has to know is that you're in the room and she'll be thinking about it on her own. Just stay at the door, don't rile her."

"Normally riling them up is what works," Aurelius said. Alex gave him a sharp warning look, but despite his protest, he knew better than to try it. Minister Plum had never cared for him to the point that he often saved up his favors to convince Harry to do whatever Archives work the department needed done. And that wasn't an easy task at times, Aurelius reminded himself, pulling back the heavy door to the Archives. Immediately Plumeria was alerted, glaring fiercely at the Auror at the door.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded coldly.

"Oh, don't worry, he's just escorting me, Minister Plum," Alex said, walking in casually. "I promised I'd check a few records for Percy before lunch with my brother, but they are rather tricky ones. I'm sure you know where I can look. Do I need extra permissions for these?"

"Let me take a look of those, Mrs. Clemmons," Plumeria said in resignation. "Stay out there, Auror Snape, this will only take a minute."

"No problem, I'll just hold the door," Aurelius said, waiting patiently as the sour old women looked up the names for Alex. Alex glanced at him questioningly and he nodded, allowing her to concentrate on what Plumeria was doing.

"You will have to get an extra signature from this one. Mr. Weasley does not have the authority to look over this without a _Minister's_ approval," she said critically.

"Thank you, Minister Plum, I'll let him know," Alex said with a smile, shuffling the papers in an attempt to get him organized.

"And next time, no escorts by Ministry personnel who have no business with Archives and no prior authorization for doing so," Minister Plum said primly.

"Er… yes, Minister Plum," Alex said sheepishly, unsurprised to see Aurelius scowling at the old woman as she left the room.

"Ministry personnel?" Aurelius repeated indignantly as they walked away from the door. "Since when have Aurors been considered Ministry personnel?"

"I think that was her way of trying to be polite," Alex said distractedly.

"That was polite?" Aurelius said flatly.

"Never mind that, Rel. What did you pick up?" Alex coaxed.

"Office?" Aurelius suggested. Alex sighed and glanced around before putting a special key into one of the Doorlifts. It opened into what appeared to a deep black fog, but when the two of them stepped through it, the fog instantly cleared and turned into a posh office suite only slightly smaller than the Minister of Magic's office. Alex went over to the small sitting area and sank into one of the couches, reaching for the pitcher of iced tea on the table.

"So? Did you find out anything?" Alex pressed as he got his drink as well.

"Some, but I think you'll find that her actions were completely in her character and rather unenlightening," Aurelius said. "First off, she was the one who broke into the Artifacts vault that night… or at least, she was the one who left it open. Some of the things she used to block the door came out of there, actually, and had records made up saying she took them out earlier in the afternoon. It was her own idea to leave the door open, knowing we'd have to inventory it and that it'd cause another panic about Artifact safety… after all, she is a member of the society and would like to see that stuff out of vaults in into 'better' hands."

"Was she the one who took the Proxy device then?" Alex asked.

"No, I don't think so," Aurelius decided. "From what I saw, she really didn't get involved in this whole thing until after it was set up. It was those reports in the paper about the Ministry tipping off locations of vampires that got her curious. That's when she started digging, trying to figure out who was head of your department for her own selfish reasons. I think she hoped that if she knew who the Minister was, she could get a better idea of how much they were using her department for information."

"Not as much as she thinks," Alex said defensively. "We keep our own records short of birth and death announcements."

"Well, either way, that was her reasoning behind it," Aurelius said.

"Yes, but who talked her into doing it?" Alex asked.

"You won't find it very enlightening," Aurelius warned. "It was Sibyl Trelawney."

"What! That doesn't make sense, she wasn't even a vampire yet. She was kidnapped that night," Alex said.

"Exactly. She knew it was coming," Aurelius said with a nod. "Apparently, Plumeria and Sibyl went to Hogwarts together, so at sometime after she was transferred to St. Mungos, Plumeria decided to visit her," he explained. Alexandria groaned. "Sibyl warned her that there was a war coming between the vampires and the Ministry, and although it couldn't be avoided, it might be cut short if the vampires are allowed to seek out the Minister and destroy them when they attacked on Halloween. So, as Plumeria was repeatedly reminding herself in her mind… none of this was her fault and she was only trying to help."

"Some defense… sorry, I thought I was doing the Ministry a favor letting the vampires in," Alex said in annoyance. "I was really hoping that whoever told her about this would give us a lead as to who the fourth might be."

"Well, let's put together all we know so far," Aurelius said, helping himself to more lemon. "We know whoever is behind this is more than likely a member of the Collector's Society since it's the only thing they all have in common and we know that other members are helping them…wait. Was Trelawney a member of the society?"

"Oh yeah… a founder even," Alex said.

"Founder?" Aurelius prompted.

"Those who came from Equinox when it disbanded are all considered founders of the society," Alex explained, putting her feet up on the couch. "There were only a few dozen of them at first… not everyone was interested in starting over, especially considering the reputation at the end. Others weren't invited at all; namely anyone associated with Death Eaters or Voldemort. They wanted to keep the idea behind Equinox alive, but without the dark influence that had been corrupting the old order over the years. Norman Balmweed was the driving force behind the movement originally, and from what I could tell he seemed to do a fair job of it until the end. Apparently, he claimed to be 'overextended' in his duties and stepped aside allowing Abraxus to take over… but just before he did, he invited Peter Gamban into the fold having been convinced by the name change and his apparent dedication to his son that he was going to stay true to his organization and not his father.

"I rather think it was a bad idea on both sides; Balmweed for offering and Peter for accepting. It didn't take very long after he joined that Ludo started asking Peter all sorts of questions about the society. At first they seemed innocent, but after a while, Ludo began to suggest 'improvements.' The guards stepped in at that point, thinking it was getting much too political, but they stepped in a bit too late. Ludo had managed to convince Peter to 'keep an eye' on things," Alex said. "More and more of Peter's investments became tied to society leaders… to the point of being a partner or partial owner in many of their companies."

"Odd, Bagman doesn't seem to be the type to be interested in that sort of power," Aurelius said.

"He's not," Alex said. "You see, Peter is in charge of his estate, and he's allowed to discuss anything having to do with finance or property with his father."

"So he can get messages through that way if he's clever," Aurelius mused.

"Yes, and on top of which, it's been suspected that he might have friends working in the prison, not to mention the fact he is allowed fifteen minutes of time alone with his counselor every two weeks. He still might know something we don't," Alex concluded. "I don't suppose you could go in there and talk to him so that we know for sure?"

"Not without solid evidence, no. Trust me, I would have done it a long time ago if I had known I could get away with it, but there's a law on the books stating that convicted prisoners cannot be interrogated about their actions unless there is indisputable evidence that they have committed a crime. In other words, it'd end up turning into a hearing just to get in there," Aurelius explained.

"What? What sort of stupid law is that?" Alex said with frustration.

"I think grandfather suggested that law back when he was Warden of Azkaban to protect himself from Mum getting too nosy," Aurelius said dryly.

"Then I guess we'll have to go see what we can find out from Arnold Jeffers," Alex decided, getting up.

"Alex, you know I'm not allowed to do that either…"  
"What? Accidentally bump into someone in the hall? I rather think they'd have trouble making that stick in an ethics committee, wouldn't they?" Alex said unconcernedly, glancing at the clock on the mantle.

"And just how are you going to arrange us 'bumping' into him? There is no guarantee he'll even be in the building today," Aurelius said with exasperation.

"Of course he will be; he'll be here to file a formal protest to his client's treatment yesterday," Alex said, grabbing her coat. "Draco swore that if Jeffers protested that he'd sign an order stripping Bagman of all visitation rights, and we both know that Grandfather will probably inform him on the spot. Well, Grandfather almost always schedules his less desirable appointments right before lunch so that he'll have an excuse to leave abruptly. So if he's following his normal pattern and Jeffers is following his, he'll be due at the LE office in half an hour. And considering how long it takes to pass through the checkpoints… Arnold is probably going to be early. So maybe we ought to get moving?" she suggested with a smile.

"You scare me, you know that, don't you?" Aurelius said flatly. Alex smiled enigmatically. "I'm still trying to piece together just how you found out so much about how the society started and Bagman's part in all of it."

"Bagman was the entire reason behind it. When I first took over, I had several members of the department dedicated in trying to find out everything they could about Equinox and those records Bagman dumped and what happened after it broke up. It took awhile, and I know I'm still missing members on the list we've accumulated," Alex admitted with a sigh.

"You're doing fine, Alex. Seriously, you've been brilliant at this job, if you want my honest opinion. Although I have to say it is rather a shame that you haven't been so steady in your personal decisions lately," Aurelius said. Alex stopped just short of the mist so that she could glare at him.

"My personal life has nothing to do with my work," Alex snapped.

"Well, maybe not directly," Aurelius admitted softly, following her through the mist. "But indirectly it did make things easier for you to hide things and keep secrets; after all, that's part of your job. And I know I played a part in that because you have the right to make your own decisions whether me or anyone else agrees with them or not. I'm just wondering what it is you are planning to do after this morning."

"I don't know," Alex admitted quietly.

"You don't really think he wants you to stay married for your kids, do you?" he asked.

"Rel, please," Alex said, pausing beside the Doorlift lever. "Look, I know you are just asking me questions because you care, but we're not kids anymore. It's my life, I'll ask my own hard questions thanks."

When the two of them stepped into a back hallway, Alex turned to see that Aurelius no longer wore the stern look he had when they had first stepped in the fog. His stormy grey eyes seemed a great deal calmer.

"Well, as long as you're prepared to ask yourself those hard questions, then I don't really need to worry anymore," Aurelius reasoned. "Once you start asking questions, you never rest until every single one of them is answered."

"That is why I got this job," Alex said dryly.

"Yeah," Aurelius said, slowing before they got to the main corridor. "You know… regardless of happens with you personally, you were right to take this job, it was meant for you."

"Thanks," Alex said, glancing up just in time to see Jeffers arguing with the guards at the checkpoint.

"I rest my case," Aurelius said before the two of them hurried up to the small booth.

"Of course I have legitimate business, I have an appointment with the LE Minister," Jeffers said irritably. "If you don't mind, can we please hurry this silly inspection up? He will be quite put out if I'm late, assuming he is willing to see me at all."

"You should have gotten here earlier then," the guard said unconcernedly, checking his wand and running a magic scan.

"I have better reception at Azkaban than I get from customs here," Jeffers complained.

"Hullo, Arnold!" Alex said cheerfully, getting a dirty look in return. "Having a bad day?"

"Not necessarily, I just hate delays," Jeffers answered warily.

"No problem, we'll escort you through. We were going that way anyhow," Alex offered warmly.

"Thanks," Jeffers said, the three of them passing through the checkpoint and walking down the hall.

"Which way are you going?" Alex asked.

"LE office," Jeffers admitted.

"You're going to see my grandfather? Then you really do need an escort," Alex teased. "Does it have anything to do with my uncle's case?"

"Now, Alex, you know I'm not allowed to talk about things like that," Jeffers said.

"Sorry, I was just curious," Alex said, pausing as they got to the next checkpoint. But this time it was a couple of LE officers and they were let straight through. "I guess it was a silly question, considering you mainly handle civil cases. So are you just having an early lunch with him, then?"

"Alexandria," Jeffers sighed. "Not meaning to be rude or anything because I know you're just trying to make conversation, but I don't feel comfortable you asking a lot of nosy questions with your brother around."

"It doesn't matter if I'm around or not. She'd still ask nosy questions," Aurelius said expressionlessly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it, I was just talking," Alex protested. "After all, we did go to school around the same time, and I was just wondering how you've been, that's all."

"Tell you what, the next time you talk Malfoy into letting you host a barbeque near the office, let me know. I'll come and chat with you as long as you like as long as it's not about work… and we don't have an audience," Jeffers said.

"I'm beginning to think you don't like me," Aurelius said.

"It's nothing personal, Rel," Jeffers chuckled. "Our jobs and your talent are automatic conflicts of interest."

"I understand," Aurelius said with a respectful nod, walking into the LE reception area.

"You're lucky to have gotten here," Adler said, glancing up when they came in. "Minister Craw told us to turn you away if you were even a minute late."

"Sounds like he's in a mood," Alex said.

"Thanks again," Jeffers said, sounding much more grateful then before as Adler escorted him to the door.

"Let's get out of here before the fireworks start," Aurelius suggested, and Alex quickly agreed, knowing it mainly an excuse to beat a hasty retreat. "How about we go rescue Ginger from the lab and head to the island with some sandwiches for lunch?"

"Sounds lovely," Alex agreed, waiting until they were well away from the office. "So, did he know anything?" Aurelius sighed.

"Well, he does do favors for Bagman helping out other society members… and Bagman was even the one who suggested to Jeffers to talk to Sirius about suing for the Stone," Aurelius said.

"What?" Alex said in surprise, then remembered the Yule party and grimaced. "Actually, I can see that now. What about the Horsemen?"

"Nothing," Aurelius shrugged, Alex turning to frown at him. "Of course, you never mentioned it directly, but he was thinking of Bagman. If he knew any connection, it would have crossed his mind."

"Blast it, another dead end!" Alex said with frustration, putting a hand to her head. "I don't get it, I've never been so far off… maybe the whole business of the society being sympathetic let my imagine run away from me. The shadow of Bagman hangs over my department even now, Rel. Maybe it's gotten to me… I can't believe I've been wasting our time with this."

"It isn't a waste of time. There's nothing wrong with checking every possibility, especially when it's someone who has been able to get in our way in the past," Aurelius said. "Besides, it's your job to check every possibility, no matter how remote… and I don't think this one was remote." Alex sighed. "Look, what we need is a clear lead, and we can't get that if we don't have clear heads," Aurelius said quietly. "And you have a lot going on right now keeping you from doing that. Maybe you should take the weekend off to sort things out?"

"I already have weekends off," Alex pointed out.

"And when was the last weekend you actually managed to stay out of the Ministry both days?" Aurelius challenged her.

"Well… I don't remember, actually," Alex admitted ruefully, when she saw how carefully he was watching. "It wasn't like it took much nudging. Work is the only time I feel in control anymore." Aurelius glanced at her thoughtfully.

"You don't necessarily have to go home if you're not comfortable there, just away from the Ministry so you can think straight," Aurelius said.

"No, I think… I think I want to go home," Alex decided. "Comfortable or not, you're right, I have some questions I need answered. But I don't think I want to leave things like this at work either."

"Understood," Aurelius said with a nod. "So what's our next plan of action?"

"I think our best bet is to attend the next society meeting so that we can clear this up once and for all and move on to something else," Alex decided.

"What makes you think they won't just kick us out?" Aurelius asked.

"Because I don't think Sirius will let them. They're hosting it at the mansion on Sunday."

"So much for the weekend off," Aurelius said stay unenthusiastically as the two of them walked into the lab.


	37. Tough Questions

Thirty-Seven

Tough Questions

It was well into the evening by the time that Alexandria arrived at Baker Street. That was how she had planned it, killing time going over cold cases in her office until she was certain that her two boys were fast asleep in their bed. When she went inside, things were unusually quiet. The gaslights in the hall were up indicating that someone was home, but the fact that the computer was turned off was quite strange, and no other lights were on except for the small lamp on the kitchen counter.

Thinking that perhaps Ben must have gone upstairs early, she put away her coat and was about to go up when she heard the sound of someone coming down the back stairs. Curiously she peered around the front stairwell to see Ben peering out from the other hallway.

"There you are. I was beginning to wonder," Alex said, holding onto the rail.

"What are you doing home?" Ben asked in alarm.

"I live here, silly. What were you doing in the library?" Alex asked in return.

"Oh… reading," Ben said distantly.

"Really? I've never seen you read before," Alex said.

"Contrary to popular belief, people have to do a lot of reading while on a computer," Ben said irritably.

"Okay, I know," Alex said with a grin. "I meant books. It's a miracle you were able to find anything to read up there, considering that it's mostly tomes on dark magic and alchemy short of one of Mum's Dickens collections and a handful of mysteries that father decided didn't need to be read more than once. Now me, I'll read anything. I'm just surprised because you've always been the hands on type." Ben simply nodded, apparently uninterested in adding to the conversation.

"Would you like some tea? I'm going to put the kettle on. I've had a monstrous day at work," Alex explained, stepping into the kitchen. Ben watched her with a bewildered expression on his face. "Rel and I have been following even the faintest of leads to try and figure out who the leader of the Four Horseman is and we've been running into nothing but dead ends. Whoever it is really knows how to cover his tracks. Everyone that we know that is involved so far only has partial knowledge, and I don't think that trend is going to end," Alex admitted with a sigh, looking through tea canisters.

"You shouldn't be telling me all of that," Ben said sternly. Alex stared at him in surprise, and the look faded into a rather tired expression. "You shouldn't talk about your work."

"What? You're always asking me about work. I am the one that usually doesn't want to talk about it," Alex said.

"Then why start now?" Ben asked, the irritation back in his voice. Alex stared into the empty cups for a moment before filling them with hot water.

"I suppose because it's the easiest thing for me to open about right now," Alex said slowly. "And I really think we should talk."

"You want to talk now?" Ben said with disbelief. "Why do you want to talk now, not at Christmas or over the summer or even a week ago? Why now?"

"What's wrong with now?" Alex asked.

"What isn't wrong, Alex?" Ben snapped back.

"Everything is wrong, I agree, which is why we need to talk," Alex said, raising her voice to match his.

"I can't talk to you now," Ben said firmly. "You're just going to have to go back to whoever it is you just left. You can't stay here. If you need something from here, please get it and leave."

"Does this mean… does this mean you're leaving me?" Alex asked, feeling her throat tighten.

"No, you are the one leaving," Ben said, pulling on her arm.

"Just like that, without hearing my side of all this?"

"This is not a trial and I am no judge. But I will do what's best for our children whether you approve of it or not," Ben said, holding out her cloak. "Now get out."

"Please don't let it end like this, Ben," Alex begged quietly. "Even if it does have to end… even if I have been fully to blame for all of this, let's at least come to some sort of understanding as to why it happened. Don't you want to know why?"

"I am not like you, Alex," Ben said bluntly, opening the door. "And I believe that sometimes it is better to leave certain questions unanswered. Now, please leave. For Rus and Jay's sake if not your own."

"Fine. It isn't as if I don't have anywhere else to go, is it?" Alex said acidly.

"Good, then I'm sure you'll find someone to talk to," Ben said. "And please don't try talking to me again. I'll send a note as to when and where you can see the children in a few days."

"You don't even know how to find me."

"Aurelius does," Ben said simply, shutting the door in her face and throwing the bolt in place.

It was a futile act to lock it; Alexandria still had a key and knew other ways to get in should she want to. And yet even though she knew that, the gesture in and of itself made her heart catch in her throat, and she wondered what to do now. The idea of heading back to Xavier's for the evening was rather appealing until she remembered their conversation that morning. When he told her what happened, would he comfort her, or scold her for being careless? She didn't want another confrontation after what she went through, and definitely not by both of them on the same night. Making up her mind at last, Alexandria took her key to the Ministry.

Peering through the glass, Ben watched her until she disappeared. He slid down the door and closed his eyes, but he could not block out the fear or the ache that had overwhelmed him with her departure.

* * *

Alex awoke in her office due to a very noisy conversation that was taking place in the room. She sat up just enough to peer over the side of the couch, groaning when she saw who it was.

"What are you guys doing here? Don't you know it's Saturday?" she said with a yawn.

"Whoo us?" hooted one of the owls.

"It can't be Saturday. You aren't here on Saturdays," reasoned a tawny owl.

"Don't you want your post?" asked a screech owl.

"I have more than post. I have a report to file," said a horned owl, ruffling his feathers. Alex put a pillow over her head.

"Must you be so official all the time? Especially on a Saturday," said the first owl.

"You don't know whether it's Saturday or not any more than I do," said the haughty owl.

"'Ere, mates. If the Min'ster says it's Sat'aday, it is, I say. Lets let her ladyship be, if she wants."

"It's all right, Dodger," Alex said at last, rubbing her eyes. "Someone go to the cafeteria and order me some coffee."

"I'll get it, luv," he offered, taking off through a small open window.

Alex reluctantly got up and stretched before walking over to what at first looked like a cross between a coat rack and a tree. A large oak pole served as a base for a multitude of bird stands that branched off in all directions. She had, in fact, bought it used from Eeylops back when they were replacing all of their displays. It had taken a bit of work to get it cleaned up and polished, but it made it a lot easier now that all the owls had a place to alight at instead of being spread about the large room.

"So which of you agents has legitimate business and who are just here to hang out?" Alex asked, several of the owls sliding closer to the center pole at that.

"I have post from your man in Azkaban, Minister," said the horned owl proudly. "And you told us that post from Azkaban was high priority." Some of the other owls ruffled their feathers.

"Behave guys, he has a right to be proud. It isn't often that his agent is given a high priority," Alex scolded.

"But he's always like that, he thinks he royalty or something just because he's Revere's distant cousin," a brown owl complained.

"All birds are full of themselves," Tes declared by licking her paw repeatedly.

Alex knew that acknowledging the cat had said anything would be trouble, so instead reached for the note and pretended not to have seen the gesture. Dodger flew in, somehow managing to find an unoccupied perch.

"It's on its way, luv, box twenty-three," Dodger said. Alex distractedly read the letter before going over to a wall filled with postal boxes. Unlocking one of them, she took out a canister of coffee and a plate with a crumpet with pumpkin butter.

"So, what did it say?" the horned owl asked impatiently.

"It said that after Bagman was done 'raving' about injustices, he decided not to issue further complaint about his family visitations getting restricted," Alex said, sitting down with her breakfast. "Apparently, as a parting shot he said, 'perhaps this will finally convince you that I'm not involved once and for all.'"

"Well, that clenches it then, eh?" Dodger said.

"You're right," Alex sighed. "He does have something to do with all of this. He wouldn't have said that if he didn't."

"Their absence does not prove his innocence?" the horned owl asked.

"No, it only proves that he found some other way to get messages out," Alex said. "I can guess how he gets news, but how he responds to it short of these visits is another matter. Maybe one of the guards is helping him."

"Not _my_ guard," the owl said haughtily.

"No, of course not yours. But there are a great many guards that go in and out of there," Alex said. "Jeaps, how hard would it be for you to get a hold of one of his personal letters on its way out?"

"Entirely against regulations. I am not Azkaban's head owl," he admitted reluctantly. A couple of the younger owls made soft noises that made him spin his head around and stare threateningly at them until they quieted down.

"Bribing guards is against regulations too, isn't it?" Alex said.

"Most definitely," the horned owl hooted.

"If they're sending codes through the post, then he'll have had no reason to do so. It should clear the possibility…"

"Or bring it to light," the horned owl hooted seriously. "Does the head guard not already check them?"

"Yes he does, and diligently too, of that I have no doubt. But no one can hide a code from me," Alex said.

"Very well. I shall bring one and then deliver it to its rightful recipient myself," the owl decided solemnly.

"Thank you, Jeaps," Alex said gratefully. "The rest of you ought to go as well. I'll be at the north office if anything comes up."

"I thought you said it was Sat'aday. Aren't you off to see the fledgelins?" Dodger asked.

"Not today, Dodger. I don't think I'm wanted over there," Alex confided as she got up. "Please return to your agents. Hopefully it'll be a quiet evening and I'll see you all on Monday."

"That would be a change," the brown owl hooted. The horned owl took off first and the rest followed with Dodger leading up the rear. Alex took a deep breath and then closed the windows, having no intention of delaying the inevitable any longer.

"The tough questions," Alex reminded herself out loud, stepping into the mist and then out into the maze.

Xavier, it seemed, was having his typical weekend morning for that time of year. After a rigorous exercise practicing defense moves in the conservatory, he had once retired to the drawing room near the fireplace, wearing comfortable clothes and staring at a book while his eyes were repeatedly threatening to close.

"Maybe it's the lack of circulation in here," Alex theorized out loud, making Xavier look around.

"Back already? That was a short visit. Did your mother show up early again?" Xavier asked before trying to find his place long enough to mark it.

"I didn't visit them today, actually," Alex admitted.

"What are you thinking, Alex? I know you have trouble with the man, but really, is that wise right now?" Xavier chided her.

"It's neither here nor there at the moment. I actually came back because I wanted to ask you about something," Alex said, sitting across from him. "Why did you ask me to dinner that first time?"

"To catch up on old times and talk about how Rel was doing," Xavier said with a shrug.

"All right, I can accept that," Alex decided with a nod. "What about the second time? Why did you ask me out then?"

"Because when it came time to call it a night, it was obvious that you still had a lot to say," Xavier snorted.

"That wasn't your reason for asking. That was my reason for accepting," Alex said. "But there were so many obstacles to asking me again. Once is acceptable, especially with Rel in the state, but two is a little…well… I was married with kids, and yes, I was separated from them but not out of choice."

"Alex, I hope you're not trying to imply that I took any sort of advantage of you. You did most of the talking that first night, and you accepted the invitation without any coercion."

"I know that, Xavier, and I don't think you were trying to take advantage of me, although you were taking advantage of the situation or you wouldn't have asked at all," Alex pointed out. "Were you hoping for a rekindled friendship, or something else?"

"Something else, of course," Xavier said. "I wanted what I've always been denied, namely you."

"Our splitting up wasn't my idea," Alex reminded him.

"It wasn't mine, either," Xavier said firmly. "I was a victim of my family's curse just as surely as you were a victim of your own talent. You might have been separated from your family, but I've been denied ever having one."

"No you haven't," Alex said, sitting next to him. "There's no reason you can't! Curse or no curse, your children would have advantages that no one else in your family ever has, namely you as a father. You may hate the situation between you and the goblins, but you don't hate the goblins, nor do you seek vengeance like your forefathers had. You can teach your children the same thing and break the cycle. If there is a will there's a way, you know, and you would have a lot of people supporting you if you decided to face the challenge… including Boulderdash… including me."

Xavier stared at her openly.

"Alex, I thought you had no intention of having any more children."

"I don't," Alex said, then noticed how Xavier was staring at her. "I guess I… must have meant someone else," she murmured in realization.

"Are you trying to break up with me or something?" he asked flatly.

"No! Actually, I came over to ask if I could move in with you," Alex admitted sheepishly.

"Then you have a very odd way of going about it," Xavier said. "What about Ben?"

"Oh, he kicked me out last night," Alex admitted with a nervous laugh. Xavier groaned. "So can I stay?"

"Sure, as long as you realize that nothing will change by it," Xavier said.

"I guess you mean no commitments and can leave at any time thing," Alex said with a sigh.

"Yes, although I think you owe it to yourself to try to make up with Ben at some point," Xavier said, picking up his book again. "Because I really don't think you want it to end like this."

"You do realize that if I make up with him we wouldn't be able to see each other again, right?" Alex said.

"Not necessarily true. Really, you're the only one who can truly decide that," Xavier said. "It's your life, and only you can determine what your needs are."

"You've told me that many times before," Alex sighed. "In some ways, that's rather what got me into this. I was so lost when we met again, Xavier. I was doing everything for everyone but myself. You reminded me that I had needs too. And I did need you, Xavier. Not that that makes it right, really."

"It can't be wrong if you needed it," Xavier said. Alex propped her head in her hand.

"I'm having trouble arguing that point," Alex admitted.

"Then don't try," Xavier said, leaning over and kissing her. "Now, why don't you get the rest of your things? And be polite, you're still married to him, after all."

"But for how long?" Alex murmured.

"If you're lucky, the rest of your life," Xavier said, getting comfortable in his chair again and turning the page. "But I'll be here for you anytime you need me."

"Thanks," Alex said. "I'll be back in about an hour."

"I'll have lunch ordered and we can eat on the greenhouse terrace when you return," Xavier said.

"Sounds great," Alex said with a wan smile before walking over to put her gloves and hat on again.

She fiddled with the key in her pocket distractedly before finally pulling it out and grabbing the handle, watching as the ornate entryway melted away. White swirled everywhere around her until her feet landed and she blinked, finding herself standing on the snowy doorstep of her father's house. Timidly she decided to knock first, but after progressively knocking louder for a few minutes, she finally gave up and let herself in.

"Hullo! Anyone home?" Alex called out before walking to the back steps, but this time it appeared that Ben wasn't in the library. "I guess not. I wonder what he was doing in the library?" she asked herself out loud. "I suppose I ought to be relieved he isn't here. I can just get my things and go without a scene. And yet I wish…" she caught herself then, exhaling instead before quickly turning and going up to their room. Immediately she went to the closet to get out an old suitcase when she noticed two others were missing.

Her stomach dropped. Had he left then? But no, all of his things were still here, she realized, and even a couple of robes she hadn't ever seen before. On a hunch and with a chill going through her, she hurried to Rus and Jay's room to find that a great deal of their clothing, blankets and favorite toys were gone.

"What is going on?" Alex asked herself in a panic. "Why would their things be gone and not Ben's? But Muggles do pack slow, so maybe he just packed them first and he's moving them out!" Alex stared at the room for a moment before she hit her fist against her hand. "Mum usually comes over to teach Jay on Saturdays. Maybe she knows something I don't… talking to her right now is going to be hard, but perhaps I needn't talk to her in person."

Alex hurried down the stairs and into the front room, a fire blazing to life in the hearth with a simple wave of her hand. "Show me Hogwarts. I want to speak to my mother. Sitting room," she said, taking out her wand and making a complex motion with it before aiming it towards the fireplace.

Alex folded her arms and stared into the fire and concentrated but nothing seemed to happen. She changed her focus to her father's sitting room then, and thought she saw something begin to form in the flames when they suddenly snuffed out.

"That's odd," Alex said, a bit baffled as she tossed a couple more logs on the fire and relit it, waiting for it to strengthen before trying a second time. Again the fire weakened, but at the last moment it seemed to spark. Hot embers seemed to fade then grow brighter until they finally seemed to ignite again. She blinked in surprise, and then found herself staring at the fiery image of her father's head.

"Oh, it's you," he said simply.

"What was all that sputtering in the fire? Some new security measure you forgot to tell us about?" Alex asked.

"No, I simply had to pull Quintin into the Study. What do you need?" Severus asked.

"Need?" Alex repeated blankly.

"I assume you need something. Normally you bother me on that annoying shell rather than flame."

"Actually, I was looking for Mum," Alex admitted.

"You just missed her, I believe. She decided to take Llewellyn and Fortuna to New York for the day," Severus explained.

"But I thought she came over here on Saturdays to teach Jay!"

"Yes, but Ben sent an Owl letting her know he was taking them to his sister's for the weekend."

"Oh, is that all!" Alex said with open relief. "And here I was thinking the worst. I should have known better, really."

"And just what do you mean by 'the worst,' may I ask?" Severus asked suspiciously.

"I don't know… that they might have been in danger, or just decided to move out of the house…"

"I see. Any reason why he would?" Severus asked.

"Ben threw me out last night," Alex admitted glumly.

"Then why would he bother to leave?"

"Oh. Good point," Alex said sheepishly.

"So you finally got around to telling him what was going on, did you?" Severus asked evenly.

"No, actually I didn't get that far," Alex said with a sigh. "He threw me out right after I came in and asked if we could have a talk. He didn't want to have anything to do with it." Severus furrowed his fiery brows.

"That is oddly out of character."

"I know. I guess he must have heard something, because when I told him that I'd come early to talk, he got extremely upset and asked me why I wanted to talk now instead of a week ago, then told me to get out of the house and not come back," Alex said.

"That doesn't sound like Benjamin," Severus said, his voice sounding strange. "That sounds like something Jennifer would do if she were in some sort of trouble."

"Well, Ben isn't Mum, and he would have told me if he were in trouble," Alex argued.

"He wouldn't have if you were at odds. He wouldn't have if he thought you were going to get hurt by knowing," Severus said thoughtfully. "Were the children there last night?"

"I'm not completely sure now. It was after bedtime and I didn't make it upstairs…"

"Did he seem angry at you or just upset?" he interrupted impatiently.

"Upset, mostly. He didn't get angry at me until I didn't leave fast enough to suit him," Alex said miserably. "He half-dragged, half-pushed me out the door."

"Someone must be watching the house," he said with alarm. "Where are you?"

"In the living room," Alex said, quickly grabbing her cloak.

"Then get out at once and don't come back until we… no, you fool! Use floo powder or a key, not the door!" Severus barked, but it was too late.

Alex had already dashed out the door and out into the street, hurrying to her car to pick up Jay and Rus from Ben's sister's house. But she had barely touched the handle when a paralyzation spell hit her from above. She flicked her eyes upward, catching a glimpse of two horses; one roan and one white.

"Good afternoon, Minister," sneered the wizard on the roan horse. "We've been expecting you."


	38. Coerced Information

Thirty-Eight

Coerced Information

Alex awoke to a strange trembling sensation and a hollow, metallic howling sound that seemed to come from all around her. It was cold, and she was lying uncomfortably on a hard stone floor with only her head propped up. Finally she felt her fingers twitch and then she was able to grimace… a tingly feeling going through her as little by little her muscles woke up. Finally she was able to blink, a bit startled when she realized that someone was over her with a phial in hand.

"Ssh, don't make too much noise. Are you all right?" the figure whispered. She gazed at him until she was able to focus on his eyes.

"Ben?" Alex murmured, quite disoriented. "Where are we?"

"Work," Ben said dryly. "Here, drink this. It's alright, just a Pep-up I found in your emergency wallet."

"Since when do you know anything about potions," Alex said, sitting up with his assistance.

They seemed to be in a large, dark basement filled with boxes of paper records. A metal staircase led up to a door, while on the other side of the room partially visible behind the stairwell was a narrow unlit hallway. The only furniture to speak of was a single large desk that sat on a few squares of wooden flooring in one corner. It had a small, rather uncomfortable looking chair, and the desk itself was empty except for a few dangling wires, a desk lamp, and a couple of family pictures.

"Let's get you into the chair," Ben insisted, getting up.

"This is such a strange place. Do you really work here?" Alex asked in confusion.

"Did," Ben corrected, helping her over to his corner. "Let me get you some water."

"What is that awful noise?"

"Oh. We're next to and slightly under a tube station," Ben explained. "Back through that hall there's a metal door that actually leads to the sewers. My supervisor always goes that way when he's going home, so I think it might connect to Myrkinbrek somehow."

"Your supervisor is a goblin?"

"I think I've mentioned him to you before. He's one of the reasons you need to keep it down, though, because I think the Horsemen put him on guard duty," Ben said.

As he went to get some water, Alex fiddled with the light, turning the hood so that she could see better. That was when she frowned, noticing how thin and pale Ben looked. She had thought it had been the lighting at first, but now she was quite sure it was something else.

"Are you all right?" Alex asked. "And where are Jay and Rus?"

"Hopefully they're still right where they should be. How did they find you?" Ben asked.

"I went home to… well, I went home to pick up a few things," Alex admitted. "When I came home to an empty house and the boys' room all ransacked, I got worried, so I sent a flame up to Mum… Father answered. When I told him what's been going on, he told me that he thought you might be in danger…"

"Oh no. Don't tell me he's coming after us!" Ben said in dismay.

"Probably, but why do you say it like that? Aren't you relieved?" Alex asked. Ben suddenly looked around, hearing someone at the door. Alex gasped, noticing his neck. "Ben, you've been bitten!" she said.

"Oh… I was wondering if I had been," Ben said, rubbing his neck distractedly but watching the handle turn on the door. A gnarled goblin poked his head and sneered before coming down the stairs.

"I thought I heard yapping down here," the goblin said.

"Knifetongue, my supervisor," Ben explained.

"I've heard of him," Alex said quietly. "He used to be with Earsinge's mining company. He's a radical from Heckletown."

"We prefer to call ourselves libertarians," the goblin said, baring his fangs.

"I'm surprised that you'd suffer taking orders from any wizard, considering how you feel about all of us," Alex said.

"I hate Snapes more," he decided. "And anyone who promises to rid this world of Snapes is an ally, at least for the time being."

"We have been friends to the goblins for years!" Alex protested.

"Allies to the bank, maybe," Knifetongue snarled.

"Er…no, we've never been that," Alex said, shaking her head.

"Haven't you? Considering all of the times your family has interfered and negotiated with them to prevent a war?" Knifetongue said with distaste. "We yearn for war! We yearn for a chance to wipe your kind out of existence! And Snape has to go and 'smooth things over' time after time to try and prevent it. As for you, I have not yet gotten vengeance for what Platt did to my nephew!"

"He didn't know the daggers were poisoned, Knifetongue! That was Napescar's doing!" Alex snapped. "We were only children, and Xavier was just trying to protect me!"

"Spare me the argument that you were children, it means nothing considering your stupid enough to be seeing him now," Knifetongue said in distaste.

"We're just friends," Alex said firmly.

"Liar! Do you think I'm a fool?" the goblin snarled and suddenly leapt up, backhanding her hard. Alex fell backwards into the wall rubbing the side of her face and looking quite dazed. Benjamin didn't speak, walking stiffly over to her and offering her a hand up with an unusually stony expression.

"That's enough, Knifetongue," said a harsh voice. A robed figure descended the stairs. "It's pointless to attack her before she's interrogated."

"And am I going to be allowed to take part in this interrogation?" Knifetongue asked with apparent interest.

"That's up to your boss," the cloaked figure said.

"Then I think I'll go ask now," the goblin sneered, baring his fangs before turning and stomping up the stairs. The cloaked figure watched him close the door before finally sighing and turning back around. "You're making things more difficult for yourself. You might as well cooperate so that they'll go easier on you."

"Don't they usually send down the bad cop before the good cop?" Alex asked.

"Wha?"

"Maybe the goblin is the bad cop," Ben suggested.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I am being serious here," the figure snapped.

"Well, which one are you? I mean, which of the Horsemen?" Alex asked.

"I am Conquest."

"You mean you're Pestilence," Alex said.

"Conquest."

"Pestilence."

"Look. I researched it myself… it's true that Conquest brings about pestilence in its wake, probably because of razing the land and the dead they leave behind, but the first Horseman is Conquest… pestilence is just a result," he argued. Alex chuckled.

"The only reason they don't call you Pestilence is they probably didn't think you'd go along with joining when you found out you'd be called that," Alex said.

"Would you stop with the mocking Snape attitude already? I'm the only one here who'll help you in the slightest, you know…"

"Then how about helping us get out of here then?" Alex suggested.

"Even if I wanted to help you, they'd kill me for trying," Conquest said. "But honestly, there's really no point risking myself for that because you're going to die no matter where you are. I'm sorry but it's nothing that can really be stopped at this point so I suggest you just take my advice and don't do anything that's going to make your life a living hell until then."

"My life? What about Ben?" Alex said.

"I don't know what they have in mind, but considering they haven't told me anything, it's probably particularly nasty," Conquest said. "I'd better go up and see what's taking that stupid goblin so long."

"Just a minute. I want you to realize the consequences of your decision to leave us in this position, Longbottom," Alex said sternly. The figure stopped halfway up the stairs, but didn't turn or acknowledge the name. "If anything happens to us, your life is going to be on the line no matter what you do. No matter what they've threatened you with, if you're involved in another major crime involving one of my family again, life at Azkaban is the best sentence you can expect. Don't be stupid enough to let this go any further!"

"You look a lot like your mother… pity that you have your father's eyes," Amadeus said, continuing up the stairs. "I'll look after my own interests, thanks. And you'll do well to remember what I said." With that, he went out the door and they heard the sound of him latching it.

"I guess I need to work on my negotiation tactics," Alex said dryly, sliding back down the wall.

"You'd be better off learning how to duck," Ben answered evenly, glancing at the welt on her face.

"I suppose that's because in a way I didn't want to duck," Alex admitted. "Neither did you seem very motivated to help me afterwards. I deserved that one, and we both know it. But I think it's only right that you should also know that I was telling the truth. We are only just friends."

"Please don't try denying you slept with him, Alex," Ben said with a sigh, closing his eyes.

"I'm not denying it in the slightest. I'm simply explaining that emotionally it never really went beyond that," Alex said.

"In some ways that only makes it worse. If you're going to go to the trouble of cheating on me, you could at least have the decency to be in love with him first," Ben said coolly.

"No! You have it all wrong!" Alex shouted angrily. "Love is about family…the one you're born with and the one you create. It's not based solely on romance, which is as much instinct as intimacy. It is a caring that goes deeper all of that, and even deeper than any two people might be feeling about each other on the surface; no matter how angry or upset or frustrated you might get with a person, it's still there. It's certainly not something to be entered into lightly or thrown away lightly, assuming it's even possible to. Considering you can hate and love someone at the same time, I doubt it's that easy."

"You have some nerve saying all of that after the way you've been behaving lately! Or is that why you did it in the first place? You just assumed that everyone would forgive you for crossing the line? Talk about taking love for granted…"

"I can't take it for granted when I didn't have it!" Alex snapped back. "I lost all of that when I left! You and the boys formed a bond I couldn't touch anymore, and I lost my dream of a family entirely! I wanted to be a stay-at -home mother with no work obligations and nothing to stand in the way of just being there for Jay and Rus, and it was stolen from me all because of this accursed ability of mine. I didn't want a career or a life outside of their view…fleeting glimpses of me on the odd day the nanny takes the day off. I didn't want to become my mother!" she said, choking on her own words.

"My mother raised two children on her own, and I didn't want to become mine either!" Ben shouted back. "Life isn't fair, Alex! But that doesn't mean you or I have the right to rip each other apart because we don't like it! And love isn't just supposed to get 'lost' just because you happen to live somewhere else! That doesn't give you the right to take advantage of the situation!"

"It also doesn't give you the right of stealing the affections of our children!" Alex retorted. Benjamin blinked.

"Don't tell me this was some sort of punishment because you were jealous of me, Alex."

"I'm jealous of everyone! Everyone seems to have a right to live their life the way they want to but me!" Alex said angrily.

Ben simply stared at her, breaking the barrage of shouts with a single look, and allowing enough silence that the two of them realized there were others in the room. In fact, all four of the horsemen were at the bottom of the stairs, watching the exchange.

"If there ever was any doubt that Alexandria was her father's daughter, let them rest now," Death sneered.

"She sounds just like him," Conquest agreed. "Especially back when he was teaching."

"No one asked you! What do you want of me, anyway?" Alex barked at the horsemen.

"Uncanny," War agreed. "Shall we test the spell on her to see if it works?"

"No, they may catch on to what it does before we get to our main target," Death said. "Besides, I want to see what she knows in case she passed on the information. War?"

"Don't come near me," Alex warned, taking a defensive stance as the wizard pulled out a phial. "That's the same batch of Veritiserum you tried to give my uncle, isn't it?"

"It's definitely poisoned. It's the wrong color," Ben agreed. Alex stood back up and stared at him.

"How do _you_ know that?" she asked.

"Duck, Alex!" Ben barked.

"Oh no, not again," Conquest groaned, wondering if was going to be a repeat of what happened with Maurice. But at that instant the flash of a spell came from behind him and Alex immediately crumbled, her legs buckling underneath her.

"Restrain her," Famine ordered.

Ben suddenly found himself walking over to her and pulling her arms behind her back. Alex cried out in pain, and then cried out again when Ben yanked her to her feet.

"I can't help it! How am I hurting you?" Ben asked in dismay.

"Medieval nerve spell," Alex said, gritting her teeth.

"Servants should be seen and not heard," Famine said calmly. Ben glared angrily at him but didn't speak again.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" Death suggested. Smiling thinly, War approached and was easily able to pour the liquid down her throat. She coughed, wincing every time. "Name and current occupation?"

"Alexandria Selezin' Clemmons, assistant to Draco Malfoy," she murmured, trying to minimize her mouth movements despite being forced to answer.

"Correct title?" Death pressed with a snarl.

"Mrs," she said, and then got slapped on the face with a glove.

"Correct _job_ title?"

"Minister of Mysteries," Alex heard herself say.

"And who held that title before you?" Death asked, but met silence. "Another dose."

"We still don't know exactly what all he put in that," Conquest warned.

"It doesn't matter," Death said, and War happily poured another phial down her throat. "Who held that title before you?"

"S…Sal Ricks," she sobbed. Death made a gesture of dismissal, and War went back up the stairs.

"And before Ricks?"

"Ludovic Bagman."

"And where is Bagman now?" Death asked.

"Azkaban prison, unless you four know something I don't," Alex said.

"He hasn't broken out of jail if that is what you're implying," Death said before Conquest could react. "Do you know our real identities?"

"Some."

"Then who are we?" Death asked.

"Nelson, Longbottom, Foncé, and you, a former member of Equinox."

"And who else knows this information?"

"Everyone in the Ministry, practically," she admitted.

"And who know you are Minister of Mysteries?" he asked.

"Draco, Percy, Rel, Harry, and Grandfather… and Maurice, apparently."

"Would any of them suspect you are missing?" Death asked.

"N…no," Alex said, but Death squinted at the hesitation.

"But someone knows something, is that it? Who might suspect you are missing?" he asked.

"My father," Alex said miserably. Death gave her a thin triumphant smile.

"Excellent," Death said. "I will have to write him a letter to find on your corpse when he arrives so that he knows where to meet us."

"You're going to kill them now?" Conquest said in surprise. "Why now? Why not just wait until-"

"I am not foolish enough to wait and give her a chance to escape. She is a Minister of Mysteries, after all, she could free herself out of any situation if given enough time. Besides, keeping her here would be a complete waste of resources, especially since she won't survive anyway. Dispose of them, Famine." Death said, turning for the stairs.

"What? But he'll turn them into vampires!" Conquest protested when Death pointed for him to go ahead of him.

"Turn a Snape into a vampire? Don't make me nauseous. I have some standards to whom I father. Besides, one new servant will be more than enough," he said, taking out a goblin dagger and handing it out to Benjamin. "Kill her, then I will finish what I started."

"No! No, please!" Ben begged, but found himself shifting to take the dagger and still maintain his grip on her.

"A fitting end, I think," said Knifetongue with glee, holding the door for Conquest and Death. "And when it comes out she was killed by a goblin dagger, the younger Platt will surely come to challenge it."

"I don't like loose ends, such nasty things to have," Death said, apparently oblivious to Benjamin's begging cries as the door shut.

"Help me! Please someone help me, I can't stop myself!" Ben said with tears of terror in his eyes.

"It's not your fault," Alex murmured quietly, shutting her eyes.

"Enough of this mortal sniveling. Finish her. Now!" Famine ordered.

What Ben murmured next, Alex didn't really hear, closing her eyes and bracing herself as he raised the dagger. She felt his arm moving from around her and knew it was coming, crying out when something prickly hit her chest, followed by a fist. Something prickly? She opened her eyes to see a ruined bouquet of flowers in Ben's hand.

"Ow," Alex said as an afterthought. "I'm quite certain that's going to leave a bruise."

"What is this?" Famine hissed. "Impossible! Where did that come from?"

"Mercy is here!" called out a voice, and Famine turned just as the House Elf appeared.

"Mercy will not let you hurt them anymore! Mercy is here to right her wrongs!"

"I know how to deal with the likes of you," Famine said, drawing his wand.

Immediately Ben reacted, coming out from behind Alex and throwing the bouquet. By the time it had reached Famine's hand it had turned into a dagger again and pierced his hand. Famine simply stared at his hand in surprise, turning it to gas long enough for the dagger to drop.

"You will pay for that, slave," Famine snarled, reaching for his wand. But the wand immediately floated up and out of his reach.

"You will not touch them!" Mercy warned, a blinding light flashing brightly through the room.

"What is going on down there?" Death barked from above while Conquest hurried down the stairs with his wand out, returning the light to normal. Famine stood with his arm over eyes, his hand still carrying a dark hole from where the dagger had been.

"I don't believe it, you actually let them escape? You idiot!" Conquest shouted at him.

"How dare you raise your voice to me? I will have you hung with meat hooks!" Famine snarled, turning to attack.

"Save it, Famine! How did they escape?" Death demanded.

"The House Elf came back," Famine said.

"Then send the other one to catch her," Death ordered.

"I'll do it, he sometimes listens to me," Conquest said.

"I will find them. I will find them and finish them," Famine swore.

"Too bad you didn't do that the first time so we didn't run the risk of them getting away," Conquest said.

"There are not too many places they could go in her current condition," Death mused.

"Famine check the surrounding tunnels. I will check the Ministry. Conquest, you will go to the hospital," Death said. Conquest went up the stairs.

"I do not trust him. If they show up at the hospital, that flesh sponge is not likely to kill them," Famine warned. "Let me have him and I will make certain he carries out his orders."

"You cannot check up on him in the day, Famine, and even if it wasn't, you would be better off worrying more about your own orders. The last thing we need right now is to be at one another's throats." Smiling privately at the irony of his statement, Famine simply bowed his head slightly and slipped off towards the tunnels.


	39. Taking Down the Goblin

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Taking Down the Goblin

Alex heard a clamor of feet on the steps and then nothing at all as the blinding light faded into darkness, her eyes still showing spots of light. Then she felt hands on her, and when she flinched she noticed that her muscle movement hadn't caused any pain. That was when she became fully aware how sick she was.

"Where are we?" she heard Ben ask.

"We are one tunnel over, Master Benjamin. You are not as easy to transport as groceries, sir," Mercy said.

"Thank you," Ben said.

"Do not thank me, sir. It is Mercy's fault you are here in the first place, sir," Mercy said, sounding depressed.

"I don't see how you could possibly have anything to do with it," Ben protested.

"I did," Mercy said. "I did because of Mopers. He played a part in all of this, sir, it was his orders."

"Mopers?" Ben asked.

"He is one of Lord Nelson's House Elves and… and he is Francie's father, sir," she said, bursting out in tears. "He was unhappy with gathering from the fields when Mistress Pince owned the cottage, and did not wish to stay. It was his right to leave, but I was ashamed of him and his lack of loyalty. I stayed with the cottage, and Francie never knew of him."

"He was able to get into the Baker Street house because he was your mate," Alex murmured, and Mercy sobbed and nodded. "Why did he come?"

"Mercy still doesn't remember," she sniffled. "But Mercy wondered if it was Mopers and went to find him, and now thinks that Mopers is loyal to his Master Nelson… and his master wishes to hurt the Snapes."

"Now you tell us," Alex said weakly.

"Mercy is sorry!" she said, threatening to cry again.

"Never mind that now, just see if you can't get my wand and our keys back," Alex said.

"But they are watching for me now, Mistress!" she said.

"Mercy is right. We can't risk it, nor can we go home if Mopers can get in. But we can't stay here either. I feel him near," Ben said softly. "I think… I think he can sense me somehow."

"Elder vampires can sense their victims if they are weak from their bite," Alex murmured, shakily trying to get up. "We need to get above ground."

"Are you sure you can make it?" Ben asked worriedly. "Can you Apparate?"

"I'm not strong enough to take you with me and I'm not leaving you down here alone," Alex said firmly. "I think I can make out rail tracks over there. This must be some sort of servicing area for the tube tunnels."

"And what happens if we try to cross those tracks and pick the wrong time? Mercy, go see if you can find a painting," Ben said, and Mercy disappeared.

"But we can't wait here for her to get back. Every moment we wait is putting us in more danger!" Alex said.

"You don't need to remind me that," Ben said, rubbing his forehead. "Time to go," he said suddenly, pulling her up with one of her arms around his shoulders.

"So we're not waiting for Mercy after all?" Alex asked, baffled. But Ben didn't answer, walking them over to the tracks. Then he knelt, pulling her down with him. "What… Ben?" Alex asked in alarm, and then caught the passing of a shadow against the light of an emergency light. "Ben, snap out of it!"

"We have to wait here," Ben said, sounding strange.

"Stop listening to him! Ben, fight it! You're alive, so he can't control you completely. You can fight it! Ben, listen to me!" Alex shouted, struggling feebly against him. "Ben!"

Just then, she heard the sound of a train and glanced up in surprise. But that, it seemed, was all she had time for.

Foncé stepped up when the train barreled through as if totally unaware that anyone had been caught on the tracks. Nodding to himself with satisfaction, Foncé stepped over to inspect the area, curious to see if anything was left. Then he frowned in bewilderment, for nothing was there. He hissed in frustration. Where was the blood? How did they get away?

A quarter of a mile past where he stood, the train had come to a stop and two men had rushed out to inspect the front of the car.

"It wasn' just me! You saw it too, righ'? Two people on th' tracks just now?" The conductor said.

"We'd'a felt it if we hit em, and asides, there'd have been something left if we had," the other reasoned. "Maybe it was just an odd shadow?"

"I know what I saw… two blokes crouched on the tracks," the first insisted.

"Hold on, what's this?" the second asked, peeling a piece of canvas off the front of the train. He turned it around and saw that it was a simple painting of people in a hospital lobby; and not a very detailed one at that.

* * *

Aurelius held onto Alex's chin and gazed at her for a long time, ignoring the protests of the hospital staff attempting to get her into a room. Finally he let go and let them pass, turning to the others.

"Corey, I need you and your friends to head to Sludgebats and find out just what he put in the potions he made for Nelson," Aurelius said.

"Gladly," Corey said, his face dark as he hurried out.

"Nelson has a House Elf who can get into the Baker Street house. I need a quick fix on the house allowing no House Elves in without a Snape's permission," Aurelius said.

"I am not leaving," Sirius said firmly, taking a position near the door to Alex's room.

"I'll do it," Zack quickly volunteered.

"You had better go with him, Andrew," Aurelius advised. "But come back as soon as it's in place. Alicia, now is probably a good time for you to fetch Mum and the others from New York," Aurelius suggested.

"Are you staying here?" Alicia asked.

"Doubtful. I sent Jamie to find her father when all of this broke out, and I need to talk to him about Sal Ricks. He might be in danger," Aurelius explained, and then turned to Ben, who was sipping a potion that the nurse had given him. "How is Ben, Carinda?"

"I've given him something for his vitality, but he still seems a bit distant," the nurse admitted.

"He's still searching for us," Ben murmured.

"Let's get him out into the sunlight," Aurelius suggested, helping her move him into a wheelchair. "I'm sure that'll help him shake off any lingering affects that vampire had on him."

"That is a good idea," Carinda agreed. "Keep sipping that, Mr. Clemmons."

"I'd rather stay inside so I know how Alex is doing," Ben complained.

"That'll be a lot easier to do when you're back on your feet and have control over your own actions," Aurelius said as they pushed him out to a small garden and found a walkway with no shade to settle him in. "There, that should help."

"I can't believe I tried to kill her," Ben murmured, closing his eyes.

"It's not your fault, it was that slime vampire," Aurelius reassured him.

"But I should have at least fought it, but I didn't. If it wasn't for Mercy and Alicia stepping in, I would have killed her, staying on the tracks like that," Ben said.

"You probably fought it more than you realize," Aurelius said.

"You look a lot better, Mr. Clemmons. Finish your potion, and I'm sure you'll feel more like your old self again," Carinda said.

"I've changed too much lately to ever feel like my old self again," Ben said.

"I know," Aurelius said solemnly. "And I think in time she will too, if given the chance… not that she deserves it. She's been spoiled rotten, you know."

"I don't think that's it," Ben said, staring at the empty cup in his hand. "I think it's more because Alex has a lot of trouble communicating. Talking has become a shield, and sometimes even a method of an attack. Very little of it has anything to do with what she's really feeling."

"You're right," Aurelius said with a nod.

"I envy you sometimes, you know… you and your Truth Seeking…" Ben admitted.

"Craters, not that. Envy me all you like, but not for the Truth Seeking, it's more pain than what it's worth," Aurelius protested. "Besides, it sounds to me like you've got a good handle on the situation already. Anyhow, I need to go find Harry."

"Right. I'll stay here and watch over Alex," Ben said.

"Thanks," Aurelius said. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Aurelius turned and went back towards the hospital, his mind already switching to wondering how Harry was going to react to everything going on. But just as he reached the doors, the sound of a roaring dragon rang out, and Aurelius pulled his wand out.

"Get back inside!" he ordered, looking up towards the sky. Carinda quickly wheeled Ben inside, despite his protests that he felt he could probably walk in on his own, while Aurelius squinted up at the cloudy sky. Finally, he went back in and crossing the reception area and out the front doors, hearing the dragon's warning again as he did so. Cautiously he peered out into the street but still couldn't see anyone.

"Stay back," said Harry's voice, but when he looked to the corner near the door, he didn't see anyone. "Try to behave like nothing happened and don't look up. He's right over there… the bottom of the cloud is a different color, and if you look carefully, you can see hooves sticking out from it."

"I can't look carefully if I can't look up. What is he doing here? Is he alone?" Aurelius asked.

"He seems to be alone," Harry said. "As for what he's doing here, I would have guessed he was here to try and wipe Alex's and Ben's memories, but I rather think it's more than that now. He's probably been ordered to kill them on sight."

"Like he'd have the nerve to do anything like that out in the open! What makes you think he'd actually be brave enough to follow through with it?" Aurelius asked.

"Sal Ricks is dead," Harry said bluntly. "Killing curse. And I think Longbottom is more than capable of killing someone if he thought his own life was in danger if he didn't."

"Sal?" Aurelius echoed in disbelief.

"Taken by surprise at his front doorstep. He hadn't been given any sort of chance to react," Harry admitted quietly. "Jamie tracked me down at his house and told me you had gone after Alex, so I left Sal to Thomas in case you needed some backup. Ready to help me take him down?"

"He will be put away for good this time, won't he?" Aurelius asked thoughtfully, checking to feel his wand through his sleeve.

"Kidnapping, accessory to murder, and high treason, all charged to a parolee? I don't see him walking away from that," Harry agreed.

"Fine," Aurelius said, checking to make sure he was wearing the Aegis under his cloak. "I guess I'll go play the bait then."

"Go for it," Harry said, and Aurelius nodded, casually walking out onto the sidewalk. But the moment he got far enough out to be clearly seen from above, they heard a whinny and saw the horse rear up and turn around, dashing up into the cloud cover. "Why did I think even for a single instant that he was going to behave in any way other than cowardly?" Harry groaned. Aurelius felt a brief gust as if something moved past him very fast.

Realizing he was getting left behind, Aurelius began struggling with his cloak, pulling on the pocket several times before finally managing to get his broom out so he could follow. But by the time he managed to get up to a reasonable height, it was obvious that Amadeus was long gone.

Sludgebat, however, was not quite so lucky. Corey knew they had very little time in which to save his sister, and was not about to waste that time on formalities. He barged into the apothecary with Danny, Taylor and Doug only two steps behind him, tossing the entrails out of the way unceremoniously and striding to the back where a rather surprised goblin looked up from a cauldron.

"How dare you trespass here? Get out at once," Sludgebat snarled warningly.

"Maybe we're customers," Taylor suggested.

"I do not sell trade secrets to the competition," he spat venomously.

"He's right, we're not here to buy, and we're definitely not here to bargain," Corey said. "What was in those potions you sold to Nelson?"

"You have no proof of anything!" Sludgebat snarled.

In a flash he had pulled out a dagger and thrown it, but they had been expecting it. The dagger dropped as it hit a magic field in front of Corey, and before the goblin knew it, Danny and Corey were jumping the counter while Doug and Taylor cast a pair of spells at Sludgebat. Despite his age, Sludgebat deftly dodged the incoming spells and pulled out a second dagger, this time lunging at Taylor, who appeared to be the weaker of the two. But Taylor had never abandoned the daily training they had begun as children and was stronger and a great deal faster than he looked. Rolling away from the lunge he managed to grab his knife arm and lock it, allowing Doug to disarm and cast a holding spell on him.

"I don't think that spell is likely to hold him very long," Doug warned, seeing how much Sludgebat was able to struggle against it from the start.

"The cauldrons back here are disgusting," Corey growled.

"There are a couple of clean ones away from the others," Danny commented.

"For his goblin customers, no doubt. Some of these have several layers of potion brews in the same cauldron… many of which are toxic when mixed together," Corey said. "I should get someone from the alchemist's board in here…"

"Just because I leave the place untidy does not mean I contaminate potions. I simply use those two cauldrons over there to mix all of my orders," Sludgebat said.

"They won't buy it anymore than we do," Corey snapped.

"Corey, his potions aren't labeled with typical alchemist notation. They don't seem to be goblin, either," Danny said, showing him some of the bottles off the back shelf.

"It's probably his own system. You may have to use the sight and smell method," Corey said, checking the dirty cauldrons for samples.

"I'm not sure I'd go by those either. Not a single potion on this shelf would get a passing mark in my opinion," Danny admitted. There was a sudden flash of light and a painful squealing sound that caused Doug and Taylor, who had both been watching Danny, to jump away from the goblin in surprise. The goblin fell flat on his face, a third dagger clattering to the ground nearby. Auror cuffs appeared around the goblins wrists and ankles, a moan of protest issuing from the goblin.

"That's going to cause another political incident," Danny commented as Aurelius walked past the counter.

"Not if you find anything concrete," Aurelius snapped. "Besides, he was about to backstab that husband of yours. Really, of all people your four should have learned never to turn your back on a goblin by now, especially considering what happened to Corey."

"How is Alex, Rel?" Corey asked.

"Bad," Aurelius said, discretely taking an ingredient off the shelf and palming it. "Which is why you need to hurry. I can tell you that the potion had a smoky brown color instead of a normal truth potion."

"What?" Corey frowned. "What could have possibly been mixed in it?" he wondered out loud and then suddenly seemed curious about one of the cauldrons, rubbing the rim thoughtfully with a gloved hand. "I need to set up test potions."

"Don't you touch my cauldrons! Those are not to be touched by wizard hands!" Sludgebat snarled, then felt his head pushed to the ground by the weight of Aurelius' foot.

"I don't think he likes us wizards much," Doug commented casually.

"I'm sure Rel's foot isn't helping his opinion much," Taylor added.

"Never mind that! Now that you're not busy, Doug, why don't you run to the shop and ask Nancy for my testing kit? I can't figure out where he's hiding his uncontaminated goods at," Corey growled. Doug stepped out and immediately Disapparated.

"Let me see if I can find them," Taylor offered.

"I think I might have found some phials of that stuff, Corey," Danny said, sniffing a phial before handing it to him. Corey sniffed at it experimentally with a frown.

"I don't think we'll be able to come up with an antitoxin. There are just too many trace components in this that might negate it," Corey admitted. "But we might be able to find something that can effectively dilute it so she can fight it off."

"I found a safe," Taylor reported a couple of minutes later, showing them a fake shelf behind one of the counters nearest the cauldrons. "But it's a goblin lock. No way we're going to get in that."

"You can help me clean equipment then. At least the water in the sink seems safe," Danny said.

"I'm back," Doug announced, hurrying in with a wooden box. "Anything else I can do?"

"Yeah, go get Draco and let him know I'm arresting Sludgebat," Aurelius said.

"Anything else? Anything at all?" Doug repeated expressionlessly.

"You better get it over with, Doug. I think we've got plenty of evidence against him considering Danny finding that phial and the states of these cauldrons," Corey said, quickly making use of the components he had been given.

"Start with the fact that he poisoned one of his Ministers," Danny suggested. Doug nodded, reluctantly going back out.

"Ministers?" Sludgebat repeated questioningly, and then found his head pushed back down again.

"Any luck, Corey?" Taylor asked.

"I think I might have it," Corey said, pulling out a small bottle of golden liquid and pouring it in the cauldron, watching expectantly. Slowly, the darkened color began to lighten dramatically, its remnants swirling along the surface. "Got it, it's alcohol."

"What kind?" Taylor asked.

"Preferably strong," Corey decided.

"I'll run ahead to the hospital to let them know," Taylor volunteered. Turning towards the door, he began to leave just as Draco was walking in with Harry close behind.

"Just where are you going?" Draco demanded.

"To save Alex," Taylor said evenly.

"Good, then I'll know who to hold responsible if she dies," Draco said, stepping aside to let him pass.

"If you want to hold someone responsible, how about the slime under my foot?" Aurelius suggested. "We have proof that he was an accessory to murder this time."

"Killing Snapes isn't murder. It's pest control," Sludgebat snarled. Aurelius ground his heel a bit until Harry finally pulled him back by the arm.

"That's enough, Rel. We're not going to let him get away with it this time," Harry assured him.

"Did you get Longbottom?" Rel asked. Harry shook his head.

"No, I ran back to the Ministry to try to locate him on flags. Somehow they've gotten removed again," Harry murmured softly. Rel sighed in frustration.

"I want everything documented, photographed, and tested by both the Aurors and Law Enforcement… but first get that goblin out of here before Craw arrives or we'll have an even bigger problem," Draco said. "And just what are you two doing here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at Danny.

"Emergency test to find a way to save Alex and evidence so that Rel could arrest that despicable excuse for a goblin there," Danny said.

"Yes, I asked them to, and they were a big help," Aurelius immediately added.

"Fine, but you should leave things as they are now, and I'll have professionals take over. Harry, Rel, why don't you take him to the holding room in the Ministry so I can call the Enforcers in? Really, this is more their jurisdiction, you know," Draco said.

"Come on, Corey. Let's go see how Alex is doing," Danny suggested.

"So I'm not even a professional now, am I?" Corey muttered after they Apparated to the hospital.

"You know he simply meant someone on Ministry staff… namely Ginger," Danny reminded him. "And really, you ought to be grateful that he's willing to take the blame for our forceful entry a few minutes ago."

"You know perfectly well that I'd do more than go to prison for any of my family," Corey said, walking down the hallway.

"Yes. So would we," Danny said with amusement. Her expression became more serious when she saw Severus and Sirius standing toe to toe at a doorway. Andrew hovered nearby, apparently hoping to rescue Quintin who was getting a very good view of the conflict from his father's arms.

"I told you already, Black. I simply want to see her," Severus said.

"You can see her after she is doing better," Sirius said stubbornly. "I don't trust you with her, not considering her condition."

"Can I have Quintin please?" Andrew asked for the third time.

"You have no right nor authority to stop me from seeing her. I suggest you step aside before I'm forced to do it for you."

"Go ahead and try it," Sirius said.

"Okay, that's enough, you two," said Morfinn, forcibly backing Sirius away from the room. Andrew used the distraction to quickly snatch Quintin away. "This is a hospital, not a sparring match. And anyway, aren't the two of you really getting too old for this?"

"They most certainly are," came Jennifer's voice, and they all looked around to see her standing next to a painting helping Leu out of the frame. "How is Alex, Morfinn?"

"Poor, but we've just started dilution treatment a few minutes ago," Morfinn said. "We are taking it slowly, because we've been informed that she has only moderate tolerance to alcohol."

"That is quite true. No one in the family drinks more than a glass every now and then, we have to stay on our guard," Jennifer explained. "Although Severus did get drunk once," she added wickedly.

"Jennifer…"

"Frightening," Sirius interrupted. "Is he a giddy drunk, a wallowing drunk, or an angry drunk? Lord help us all if it's the latter."

"I suppose he was closer to giddy than anything," Jennifer decided. Severus stared at her in horror. Sirius blinked, failing to imagine it or come up with a clever comeback before several nurses came out the door and made him move further away from it. All of them had such silly grins on their faces that Morfinn found himself doing the same.

"I take it that the alcohol is working?" he asked.

"Well, she does seem better," Carinda said, failing to suppress her grin. "But I am not completely sure if it's the alcohol helping her to recover, or the effects of it."

"Oh?" he said, opening the door again to peer in. Immediately, Sirius, Jennifer, and Severus peered in as well, looking so much like a set of faces on a totem pole that Alex burst out laughing again, pointing at them from the bed and stopping only to wipe the tears out of her eyes. Ben sat at her side with an unsure grin on his face, wondering if her reaction was a good sign or a bad one.

"Promise me that you'll never get drunk in front of me. Ever," Sirius said to Severus flatly.

"Are you ready to drop this foolish lawsuit against me yet?" Severus asked irritably.

"Never," Sirius swore with a forced smile before turning around and walking towards the reception area. "Looks like the Ministry finally decided to show up," he called up the hall.

Glancing at each other, Severus and Jennifer wandered back to the front to find Adler Bosworth standing there near the reception desk with six Enforcers, giving them assignments. Seeing Severus, Adler quickly finished his instructions and walked over to Severus.

"More trouble?" Severus asked.

"The Minister of Magic has ordered extra guard on Mrs. Clemmons, although why I have yet to fathom," Adler admitted. "He also asked me to tell you that you're needed at the Ministry as quickly as possible to give as much testimony as you can against Sludgebat before the bank representatives arrive."

"It would be a pleasure I cannot even begin to express," Severus said with a fiery spark in his eyes. "I hope fifty years of accumulated evidence will be enough this time."

"The more the better," Adler said with a grim nod. After glancing at Jennifer, Severus pulled his cloak around and hurried out.

Jennifer sighed, walking over to where Andrew and Corey were standing. Immediately Quintin put his arms out expectantly and Andrew handed him over.

"So… the old goblin is finally going to get his due after all of this time?" Andrew said, wondering why they both seemed so subdued. "At least that's something."

"Well, I imagine there will be an inquiry, but they'll stop short of pulling his alchemy license, I'm afraid," Jennifer said.

"Really? As many violations as he has accumulated over the years, now this?" Andrew said, baffled.

"The problem is he is the only alchemist that goblins have right now, so they'll fight fang and dagger to keep him operating," Corey said. "The most we can hope for is a declaration by the Ministry to try and ban him from selling to wizards. But you can bet some will still go to him, since he's willing to make a lot of poisons that legitimate alchemists won't."

"People willing to pay for it too, I bet," Andrew said, wearing the same dark expression as the other two now. "It's too bad we can't find another alchemist goblin somewhere willing to move into the territory."

"There aren't all that many to begin with," Jennifer said. "Goblins in other countries are even more distrustful of wizards than they are here, and aren't likely to seek out any sort of magic instruction in the arts. They still use the old apprentice system. But Sludgebat knows better than to take on an apprentice, because he's as out of favor with the bank as he is with us. He knows that the moment that the bank has another licensed goblin alchemist, they are likely to force him into retirement."

"Now, there's a goal I can look forward to," Corey said, then suddenly strode towards the door. "I think I'll go file my own report."

"Let them know I'll be in to file one as well once Alex is feeling better," Jennifer offered.

"Just don't let your guard down. I wouldn't put it past them to come here after her, not to mention the rest of us," Corey said seriously. "Don't forget what happened when they came after Trelawney."

"They'll probably be here just after dark," Andrew agreed.

"Then I suppose we'd best get ready," Jennifer said, sounding distant. "I only hope that tonight isn't going to be as bad as I'm afraid it's going to be."


	40. The Spell is Cast

Chapter Forty

The Spell is Cast

The Horseman stood in the middle of the office of the Minister of Mysteries, unaware that his actions were being observed. An obscure note was in one hand, a wand ready in the other, and at his feet was a pile of dead owls.

The note in his hand suddenly burst into flames and he had to search the pile to try and find another. Most of the owls had no note at all; and those that did each seemed to have a different code and a different key. Despite his expertise, he was never able to put the two together before the paper would ignite.

He heard the flutter of another owl landing on the sill, but before he could raise his wand again, a black cat burst out from behind a cabinet. As fast as lightning, the cat leapt towards the window, knocking the owl out of it.

Death stared up at it in surprise and then finally closed it, deciding it was high time he left. He slipped into the foggy alcove and then walked over to a small closet across a nearby hall. He stepped inside and shut the door, his clothes and wand falling into a puddle on the floor as he forced himself awake. Kneading his temples, he glanced around his prison cell. A shadow passed across the small window in the door, and then returned again.

"Are you not feeling well?" asked Boltin, peering inside with open concern.

"I have a headache," Ludo grunted. "I think I'll skip my exercise today."

"I'll see if the Warden will approve of us giving you a headache potion," Boltin offered.

Ludo got up and stretched every muscle carefully before sitting down on the bed to wait. After all, he did have a headache, and he certainly couldn't go anywhere knowing that a guard would come back.

Finally someone began clanging something metal on the bars of his window, making him cringe and cover his ears. He was still in that position when a potion floated in through the slot and onto the table.

"Your headache potion, I believe," Hinge said with a smirk before wandering away.

"Miserable guard," Ludo muttered under his breath, wishing for the hundredth time that his grandson wasn't a friend of the guard's son. In any case, there were more pressing matters to attend to. Ludo drank the potion and lay down, carefully pushing the proxy device with his tongue.

In a large basement furnished like a second parlor, Foncé was lying one of the couches, resting with his eyes shut. He looked so very much like a corpse that Amadeus decided to pace on the other side of the room from him. An imp came in with a tray of wine and cakes before leaving again. Knowing that it would likely be a blood wine and one of Foncé's labels at that, Amadeus wisely stayed away from it. Instead, he picked a white powdered confection off the tray and shoved it in his mouth before resuming his pacing.

A door opened in the distance, and both watched the hallway until a richly robed wizard with a worried expression entered the room. When the wizard went for the bottle of wine on the table, Foncé shut his eyes again and Amadeus went back to pacing.

"Terrible! Simply terrible!" Abraxus said, downing a glass of the wine. "I just heard on the wireless that Sal Ricks has been murdered… right on his front doorstep with the Killing Curse! Please tell me you didn't have anything to do with this!"

"It is still broad daylight," Foncé pointed out. "Which is why we're down here waiting for sunset."

"I was at St. Mungo's," Amadeus said simply.

"That is just as well, because if you four start going on a rampage and killing innocents, I wouldn't let you hide out here. While I agree that I'd like the Stone out of Snape's hands and I love the idea of having him thrown out of office, I don't believe in stooping to murder," Abraxus said proudly.

"Even to save your own life?" asked someone from behind him. Abraxus turned to see Nelson sweep in the room.

"Oh, but self defense is different, isn't it?" Abraxus replied.

"There are times that the best defense is killing them before they have a chance to get to you," Nelson explained.

"If wizards went on a rampage and killed everyone they thought had the potential to kill them, there would be no one left on the entire planet," Abraxus said. "Did you know that Sal Ricks is dead?"

"Yes, I heard he died suddenly," Nelson said, getting a glass of his own. "What happened with Clemmons?" Amadeus glanced over at Foncé, who pretended to be asleep.

"She's at the hospital," Amadeus explained. Nelson stared at him with fire in his eyes. "She never came through the front doors… they must have a key there."

"It was a painting," Foncé said with a growl, and Amadeus looked around the room nervously.

"Well, there are no paintings in here. The closest ones are in the gallery with my artifacts, and that is bolted at the moment," Abraxus assured them. "What happened to Alex Clemmons? Why is she in the hospital?"

"She took one of Sludgebats potions and was poisoned from it," Nelson said.

"Oh? Well, maybe that'll give them incentive to put that dreadful goblin out of business," Abraxus said.

A part of the wall opened and a robed figured stepped out, adjusting his cufflinks and checking to make sure he picked up a new wand from the box.

"There you are, and it's about time! Do you know anything about this Ricks business?" Abraxus asked.

"I think you'd be better off worrying about this Clemmons business," Ludo said.

"I just paid a visit to the Ministry, and what I didn't learn was most revealing."

"What do you mean by that?" Abraxus asked.

"Most of the owls that arrived had no post at all; the few that did had messages in different codes. The codes were never the same one, and there was no key list in the office to decipher them," Ludo said.

"There has to be a key. It'd take forever to decode any sort of message without a key," Amadeus said.

"Not if you're an Omnivox," Ludo said. "And if I am not mistaken, the reason that so many owls had no messages was because they were simply telling her what she needed to know, being that she can understand animals as well."

"I beg your pardon, but are you saying that Alexandria Snape Clemmons is the current Minister of Mysteries?" Abraxus asked.

"Yes," Ludo said simply.

"But she's a bit… and she's very… well, she doesn't have the personality for it, really, does she?" Abraxus said, flustered from his surprise.

"She's probably the most powerful Minister of Mysteries since H.G. Griffin, and is probably only one step away of finding out everything about us," Ludo said firmly. "If I were you, I'd be praying that she dies from the poison, although I highly doubt she will. If she were going to die from it, she would be dead already. Since we haven't heard anything, I would say that she isn't. There is no way the hospital would be able to keep it quiet if a Snape died while in their care."

"It isn't as if we can do much about the situation," Amadeus said. "The place is crawling with Aurors and Enforcers, not to mention the fact that most of the family is probably there by now."

"All we need to end this is one Snape. The right one," Ludo said. "And now the time has come for us to finish what we started. If we are to succeed, it must be tonight. Marquis, if you could mobilize your clan, we shall see what terror we can bring down upon St. Mungo's."

"I believe they would enjoy that, so long as they have full rights over the spoils," Foncé said.

"I really don't care what you do, just as long as most of the Snapes are kept occupied," Ludo said.

"And how are we supposed to get to Severus if they'll all holed up together in the hospital like that?" Nelson asked.

"That is where you two come in. I want you and Amadeus to go to Hogwarts and cause enough havoc that the Headmaster will be forced to return. Then you will have to deal with them," Ludo said.

"Hogwarts?" Amadeus blurted out in alarm. "I can't go there, they'll know I'm in the area. If they catch me on property, I'm dead…"

"I made certain that all the flags are down in the Ministry, and I seriously doubt the Enforcers will be leaving Clemmons there alone. I will stay with Foncé just in case I can manage a clear shot, but I believe his fate is in your hands now, Lord Nelson. You know what to do," Ludo said.

"It has been a profitable alliance," Nelson said with a respectful nod. "I will do everything in my power to make certain it ends successfully."

"So shall I," Foncé agreed.

"Come, Amadeus," Nelson said.

"Amadeus, aren't you forgetting something?" Ludo said before he could leave. Amadeus stared at him blankly a moment, and then noticed Abraxus standing behind him, looking rather worried. "Take him back about six hours."

"Oh, that," Amadeus said, taking out his wand and pointing it at Abraxus. "_Obliviate!"_

Abraxus blinked and had a very dazed expression on his face.

"You just had a rather long nap, but after ordering some tea decided to sleep a little longer," Amadeus suggested.

"Really, you should be more careful how much blood wine you drink," Nelson agreed, taking an arm and helping Amadeus guide him upstairs and into a comfortable chair. "Come, we have much to do," Nelson said.

"I don't think having a flying mount is going to help us get into the castle," Amadeus warned as he followed Nelson outside. "Security is much tighter at Hogwarts since when I went to school, and if they decide to lock the school down, we don't have a chance of getting in there."

"You don't need to get in there," Nelson said, pulling around an ornate metal armband. "I've acquired a teleportation band from one of the Slytherin Quidditch players. Mopers will set the thing off so I can get in and cloak me so I can get to the secret passages unnoticed. I will take care of Snape. Your job is to create the distraction that will bring him back to the castle."

"All right. How?" Amadeus asked, feeling much calmer now that he knew he wasn't going to have to go in himself.

"I have a caged badgimera just inside the Dark Forest near the back of the castle. Simply release it near the greenhouses; Mopers has poured out some honey in one of the main buildings to attract it. The beast should do the rest on its own," Nelson explained, adjusting the armband so that it would fit him.

"Sounds simple enough," Amadeus agreed readily.

"After you are done, you will go to the clearing just north of the moor and wait there," Nelson said.

"Near the moor? But it gets so dark over there…"

"It is called the Dark Forest for a reason," Nelson said. "There is less of a chance of meeting centaurs in that part of the Forest."

"Why don't I wait somewhere that isn't so cold? Like one of my warehouses or something…"

"You know perfectly well that all of our properties are off limits now that they know who we are. Now, go… and no more arguing!" Nelson said, attaching the armband.

Reluctantly Amadeus went to get his horse, feeling eyes on his back. Why did that gaze feel so threatening all the sudden, he wondered. When he finally got the nerve to glance back around, Nelson seemed to be focused on preparing for his own departure and wasn't paying attention to him. Shrugging it off, Amadeus took to the skies.

"Goodbye, Amadeus," Nelson said after the fact, putting on his gloves and readying his wand. Then he waited patiently for the teleport band to whisk him away.

The sun had already began to fall behind the trees when Amadeus had arrived, landing within the forest behind the castle and dismounting so that he could look for the cage. When he found it, he realized it was a great deal larger than he had expected and would have to rely on a great deal of magic to get it over to the wall and hopefully over it.

But as he approached, he began to feel as if he were being watched. Was his levitation spell attracting unwanted attention? He glanced nervously up at the windows but saw no shadows that would indicate that someone would be watching. He continued on, his wand pointed at the cage and keeping it hovering steadily in front of him as he walked.

There was a strange rustle from behind him and he looked around. Nothing there but the trees, it seemed, glancing up at their branches to make sure no one was hiding in them. That was when he noticed that one of the branches seemed to belong to something stretching out from the other side of the wall. Rather careless of them, he thought, allowing a tree to grow up over the wall like that. Any student could easily use it to climb over it; although why they would want to he had no idea. Perhaps as an escape route from badgimeras, he thought with a slight grin.

Cautiously he walked up to the wall and peered over the side, making certain he was close enough to the greenhouses for the badgimera to get to them. As if in confirmation, the three-headed badger began to gnaw and dig at its cage, a trail of smoke coming out of the nostrils of the center head.

"Hang on, I'll let you out in a minute," Amadeus said, double-checking to make certain the area was vacant.

As he lifted the badgimera over the edge, he couldn't help but notice that the tree branches he had encountered further down along the wall seemed to be right next to him. But that wasn't as odd as what he saw when he followed the branches down the trunk of the tree. A strange trail of disturbed grass, dirt, and rocks stretched out in a zig-zag line behind the Elf Willow. That was when Amadeus realized that the tree had somehow managed to move itself. Yelping in surprise, Amadeus jumped back from the wall in a panic just as the tree managed to take a swat at him. Losing his concentration in the process, the cage fell crashing to the ground. The strong creature wasted little time getting itself out of the damaged cage, which had fortunately landed on the school's side of the wall.

The creature crawled out looking quite hungry and vexed… and the fact that a protective willow was attempting to swat at it did not improve its mood. But a badgimera can run quite swiftly if pressed, and the poor tree had no hope of keeping up bound by earth as it was. Soon the badgimera had broken its way into the greenhouse, and the Willow couldn't do anything to stop it.

Satisfied that he had done his job, Amadeus hurried into the forest, more than a little surprised at how quickly he found Conquest. Mounting swiftly, he hurried towards the meeting spot, keeping to the trees to avoid being seen. That was easier said then done; for the Dark Forest was quickly living up to its name. Only patches of light remained, now, and it was obvious that the sun had gone down.

Had he done his job in time, he wondered? He was sure that if fighting broke out at the hospital before word of the badgimera, Snape was more likely to stay there. Amadeus shivered at the thought of what might be happening… Foncé and his splinter clan would be anything but merciful to anyone they encounter. Of course, if the Snapes were given enough of a chance, it was also possible that they would kill Foncé.

Amadeus suddenly realized that part of him… a very large part of him… was hoping that would happen. The Marquis was a horrible creature that craved only blood, and would turn on any of them if given the chance. That must have been why Ludo had stayed, Amadeus reasoned. Ludo didn't trust Foncé, and he probably wanted to make certain that he would carry out his part of the bargain. After all, the whole point of the alliance for all four Horsemen was to get rid of the Snape threat forever. But then what? He tried not to think about what would happen if they failed; that much, at least, was obvious. But what if they succeeded? Nelson would probably distance himself the moment the others were no longer of any use to him. Bagman would probably fade into his prison, looking after his interests quite successfully from the comfort of his own cell, and none the wiser. Foncé, however, might just as well try to turn them into his next meal. One thing was certain; whether the plan succeeded or not, it was not likely to end friendly.

Amadeus began to slow and then stopped, suddenly afraid to go on. He never wanted this alliance to begin with; it had been something forced upon him. He had long forgotten about his former mission to find an antidote for his impotency…and he had realized some time ago that the other three were also just as unlikely to help him obtain his goals after the Headmaster was dead. Perhaps he should save himself before that outcome was decided, because no matter how it ended, he began to realize that he was not going to come out of it ahead. In fact… he probably wasn't even going to come out of it alive. A chill went through him, and he knew now that following any more orders from any of them would be a death sentence. His only chance was to run, he thought, turning to his horse with every intention of hopping on her back and bolting into the clouds, never to be seen again. But when he began to climb into the saddle, Conquest began prancing around in apparent fear.

"What's wrong, Conquest?" Amadeus asked, trying futilely to calm her down.

"Perhaps it is us," hissed one of the vampires who stepped out of the shadows.

* * *

Francis Pyther stared fixedly out the hospital window as the sun began to descend. Alicia sat down beside him, murmuring something to him but not getting much of a response. Jennifer glanced over at them as she paced the floor with Quintin, hoping to lull him into taking a nap.

Severus stepped in and gazed between Pyther and Jennifer before finally going over to meet Jennifer at the far end of her pacing path.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"I think it's safe to say that they had enough evidence to detain Sludgebat for the evening even before I put my opinion in," Severus decided. "Now it will take direct bank intervention to get him released. Perhaps they will finally decide he's not worth the trouble of bailing out again."

"It's not very likely they'll stay out of it, is it?" Jennifer said, glancing out the window distractedly.

"No, but I think it's safe to say there's no hurry in your testimony, because he isn't going anywhere for a while," Severus said. "And since Alex is resting and out of immediate danger, perhaps you should take Quintin, Lucky and Leu back to the castle for the evening," Severus murmured.

"I'm not so certain that is a good idea, Severus. This is far from the last we hear from those Horsemen tonight," Jennifer argued quietly.

"Yes, I know. I feel it as well," he admitted in a low voice, glancing at the two by the window. "All the more reason to get the children out of harm's way, and I would rather Hermione had more backup in case something happens at the school while the rest of us are stuck here for the evening."

"Then why send me instead of going yourself?" Jennifer challenged him.

"Because in this instance, you are the more logical choice," Severus said calmly. "You know your magic has not always proven reliable against elder vampires. Ancient magic is the more reliable option in this case… whereas at the school, you are just as capable as I am of keeping the school secure in an emergency. Not to mention the fact that I really don't feel comfortable with the idea of handing Quintin off to anyone else with everything going on right now."

"I hate it when you use insist on using logic against me," Jennifer said with open irritation. "Especially when I know perfectly well there is more to it than that."

"Professor Snape!" said a rather haughty woman's voice that Severus recognized immediately. He glanced at the walls until he noticed Hermione's crass secretary in the frame of a trio of nurses, who shuffled off in apparent annoyance.

"What is it, Demura?" Severus asked.

"A badgimera somehow managed to get in the greenhouses and wreaked havoc upon the main building. Fortunately, Commander Bellamy got it contained quickly, but I'm afraid not quick enough to save the interior," she said.

"Was anyone around at the time?" Severus asked.

"No, Headmaster. Everyone was at dinner," Demura said. "Professor Weasley is debating whether or not to lock down the school, since it is obvious that the creature was intentionally placed there."

"I suppose that settles it," Jennifer said with a sigh of resignation, Severus glancing at her thoughtfully. "Someone is obviously trying to separate you from the rest of the family, and we certainly can't play into their hands, can we? I will go back and help Hermione and Ace. Besides, as head of security it's my job to go."

"Of course, if you insist," Severus said expressionlessly. Jennifer gave him a dirty look and then quickly hurried off to prepare. "Please ask Professor Weasley not to lock the school down until Professor Craw arrives."

"Yes, Headmaster," Demura said, leaving the frame.

"Perhaps you should go home as well," Alicia suggested to Francis. It was spoken softly, but Severus had been close enough to hear it.

"No. If you insist on staying, I will as well," Francis said firmly.

"I can't leave when Alex is here and still in danger, Francis, and you know it," Alicia murmured. "But that doesn't mean you have to stay."

"Don't be silly. Of course I will stay," he said stubbornly. But as it grew darker outside, his mood seemed to darken as well. In fact, everyone seemed to be on edge.

"Do you want me to contact the local squadron to make certain they have a patrol stationed at the hospital?" one of the Enforcers asked out of the blue.

"Don't be ridiculous, Kale, we have more than enough to handle anything that might come up," Adler snorted. "More than likely, we have a rather dull evening ahead of us."

But even as he spoke, across the room Severus was experiencing a strange, powerful feeling of regret for asking Jennifer to head back to the school. Something terrible was going to happen… the feeling suddenly overwhelmed him and he began to wonder if perhaps the school wasn't the main target after all. What if he had gotten it backwards?

"Do you feel something strange?" Andrew said out of the blue. Severus looked up, momentarily surprised by the question. That was when he noticed the rest of the room as unusually quiet. Everyone seemed lost in thought, and Severus could tell from the pained expressions that none of them were very pleasant.

"It is my former brethren. The vampires are coming," Pyther said quietly.

Suddenly there was an explosion that shook the entire building. Several stumbled in surprise while others dove for cover. But Sirius and Andrew dove towards Alex's room. Alicia took out her wand and went to peer out the doors, her father coming up behind her.

"What are you doing?" Pyther shouted.

"They can't get past the threshold without someone letting them in," Alicia sighed at him.

"But they can cast through it if they're wizards," Severus pointed out. "That was a meteor, if I'm not mistaken…" just then there was another flash from behind them, and they hurried over to see that the garden was completely ablaze.

Immediately they joined the Enforcers in trying to put it out, but when they finally managed to get it under control, it became obvious that part of the smoke billowing in was from other parts of the building.

"Where are you going?" Severus shouted when he saw a crowd of nurses and doctors attempting to wheel patients out. "You cannot take them out there, you'll be walking right into them!"

"Many cannot walk at all, which means it is a death trap to leave them in here!" Morfinn argued back. "They cannot defend themselves!"

"We cannot defend them in the open either," Alicia argued.

"I'm sorry, but I am evacuating this hospital whether anyone else agrees with me or not," Morfinn said.

"Wait!" called out a voice from the doorway. They looked up to see Alex still looking quite haggard and being supported by Sirius and Andrew. "Take the patients to the Ministry… the gardens outside the war office. They'll be safe there."

"She's right, it'll be daytime on the island," Alicia agreed.

"Can you take them through by painting?" Morfinn asked.

"I can take the ones well enough to walk," Alicia said.

"We can use our keys to get the others out," Kale said. "But it will take some time to get them all."

"That's enough, Kale, you don't have the authority to decide that…" Adler snapped at him.

"No, but I do," Alex said. "As Minister of Mysteries and third in charge of the Ministry, I am ordering you to take them to the island!" she said, nearly collapsing again from the exertion. Adler stared at her, wondering if she was being serious about being the minister.

"All right, big sister, but you're going to be the first to go," Andrew said firmly, leading her over to Alicia.

"We're going to need to buy some time to get everyone out," Danny said.

"Then we have no choice but to attack, since we certainly can't defend when we can't see what's coming at us," Corey said. "We might be outnumbered outside, but at least we'll be able to see what's coming and be able to maneuver…"

"Hopefully we can maneuver them away from the building altogether," Severus said.

"But there are Muggles all around here! We'd just be making the situation worse if it went into the adjacent neighborhoods," Sirius said.

Suddenly another meteorite landed, shaking the building once more and making part of the ceiling fall in.

"We may not have a choice!" Severus snapped.

"I agree, let's just do what we can to get everyone out of this alive," Corey said.

"In that case, brooms anyone?" Danny asked with an enigmatic smile.

"Sounds nostalgic," Taylor said, taking one of the brooms that Danny had offered.

"It's about time the Four Horsemen are shown what real teamwork is about, since it's obvious they haven't got a clue," Doug said. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Please spare us from the costumes this time," Severus said, clearing the air with a spell before hurrying outside.

Several Enforcers had already made it out the doorway and had been casting flashes of sunlight at the sky in hopes of distracting if not completely stalling out the vampires letting off the crater spell. But almost immediately, the light went back out again.

"It isn't going to work against these vampires, every one who joined with Foncé is also a witch or wizard," Severus said. "They can counter every spell that you can counter and know more about magic than the typical modern wizard. They can also see better in the dark than we can so they have line of sight when we do not."

"What would you suggest then, Professor?" one of the Enforcers asked.

"I suggest we fix that," Severus said simply, taking out a phial from his cloak and taking a swallow before passing it to the Enforcers.

"I have one on me as well," Corey said, taking his out. "And I believe Andrew has his cloak with him too."

"Is there anything you Snapes aren't prepared for?" one of the Enforcers commented as phials were passed around. But as he turned, he suddenly let out a sharp cry of surprise. As the Catsight potion took hold, he saw a pack of wolves lined up in the shadows in front of the hospital waiting for them to come charging out of the doorway.

"Cover your eyes and prepare to bolt," Severus said, taking out a bottle. He threw it as far as he could, covering he own eyes before the flash powder went off. Quickly they moved out in different directions while the wolves were still blind, the ones one the ground taking defensive positions while Corey and his friends jumped onto brooms and shot straight upwards. Uncovering their eyes, they packed up as closely as they could.

"Look, they're over there," Corey said.

"It isn't as if we could have missed them," Doug said.

A dozen vampires sat on brooms above the hospital, slowly coasting around to watch for anyone coming out while two men on horses simultaneously raised their wands to the sky.

"Aetherfax!" the two intoned, another small meteor suddenly coming into view in the sky. They directed the rock down to the backside of the building, taking out a large chunk of the wall as it hit. Flames surged up where it hit, but it was far from the only spot that was on fire. Every few seconds, one of the pockets of flame would snuff completely out as the defenders inside the building got a handle on it, but for every one they put out, another ignited somewhere else.

"It's not going to be much longer before the whole building collapses," Taylor said. "If that happens, I doubt it could be considered a building anymore… the threshold thing won't matter. We need to go after them."

"But there are so many of them…" Doug began.

"That never stopped us before…" Corey said.

"Let's charge them," Danny said and moved out. As they approached, she let off a flare that immediately got their attention.

"Well, well, well, I suppose it was all a matter of time before those four appeared," Death said casually to Famine. "Rather a pity that War isn't here to see them die."

"Take them," Famine ordered, and the rest of the vampires eagerly spread out, dodging the first wave of spells that came in.

A wave of terror washed over the four of them leaving Taylor and Doug momentarily stunned. But Danny and Corey had been expecting it and managed to fight through, succeeding in countering the spells that had begun to come in from either side. In threes and fours they charged them individually; each casting different spells to make it difficult to counter. Out of desperation, Danny changed her tactics, casting a freeze spell not at the vampire but at the broom underneath him. The broom quickly stalled out, and the vampire took his bat form as the broom hit the ground. Quickly casting a binding spell on his wings, Danny turned her attention to countering the spells coming in from the other two who were on her.

"Dismantle their brooms! It's our only chance!" she shouted at the others.

"I'm on it," Corey said, one of them suddenly sprouting branches and entangling the vampire on it, sending them both to the ground.

"You're still leaving them alive to come at us again!" Doug shouted angrily at them.

The others risk a glanced in his direction just as he cast on one of the brooms, splitting it in two. But Doug didn't stop there, using another spell to catch the bottom part of the broom as it fell and sent its now pointed handle straight into the heart of the vampire unlucky enough to have been near the first one.

"Oh my god, Doug that's brilliant! Change of plan, then… destroy the bastards!" Danny said gleefully, grabbing the other half of the broom when the vampire changed shaped and held it out in the path of another vampire who had been bearing down on them. It had been too quick and he had been too fast to notice it, his own momentum becoming his doom as he flew straight into it.

Quickly realizing that they sat on the means of their own destruction, many of the vampires Disapparated and joined the others on the ground, while the others turned and concentrated their attack on Doug and Danny. Corey and Taylor turned to more defensive spells to cover them as they managed to take out two more of their attackers. Just then, bats dropped down behind their heads, and one of them managed to latch onto Doug's neck.

"Help, get it off me!" Doug wailed, Corey having to stop what he was doing to go over there. But the bat was stronger than it looked, and he finally had to paralyze it and pry its jaws away to get it off.

"Stake," Corey said, and Danny tossed him one. "How are they doing on the ground?"

"I can't risk a look, but I think they're heavily outnumbered down there," Taylor said, and then cast a sonar spell on another bat trying to sneak up on them. The bat shrieked in pain, flying back out of range.

Suddenly, they heard a rumble and large geyser shot out of the ground and began forming a circle around the hospital. Smoke and steam combined to make it difficult to see anything and forcing them to fly lower.

"What in the hell is that?" Doug shouted as they tried to get below the haze.

"Well, either the sewers just exploded, or Dad is on a roll," Corey said, managing to get around the wall of geysers springing up before it closed in on their side.

"It's Snape! Snape is here!" Death shouted angrily, pushing through the wall of smoke and landing on the roof of the hospital before the wall closed in.

"You shouldn't be surprised. Conquest has never done anything right," Famine hissed.

"Then we shall have the pleasure of ending this ourselves," Death said. "All we need is a clear shot."

As the wall of water connected to itself, it suddenly turned to a clear, jagged ice with many facets like a fine crystal. The two of them heard another spell being murmured, then suddenly they found themselves surrounded by the image of Snape and several others standing behind him. Each facet had the image within it, so it was rather difficult to tell exactly where they were actually standing.

"It's a sort of two way mirror, isn't it?" Andrew said, the image of Severus nodding. "That should leave them baffled for a while."

"They can still get over it," Sirius pointed out.

"Let them try, I have a grudge to settle," Doug said, putting a hand on his bandaged neck.

"We are here only to stall," Severus reminded him, moving back. But as he did so, Death could see the outline of the front door and knew where he was standing. Carefully he dismounted, creeping over to the edge and gesturing for Famine to do the same.

"Now we've got you," he said under his breath when he finally managed to get a clear shot, reaching for Famine's hand.

Severus glanced around, wondering whose voice he had just heard, when he caught a strange image in the mirrored ice. Quickly he pulled his wand and fired at the wall watching the blast of his spell angle off in the right direction as he took a step backwards.

"_Eradicus terrat-" _Death suddenly was tossed backwards by an invisible force, knocking Famine's own shot wide, hitting the pale horse. A painful whinny of terror rang out, then a moment later the horse was no longer there. The other horse, terrified by what happened to the first, suddenly took off across the roof and then finally into the sky.

But her movements along the weakened structure had caused the section to collapse, and soon a chain reaction occurred and the entire ceiling gave way, taking Death with it. Famine peered over the edge, unsurprised when he saw only an abandoned robe and wand.

"Fool," Famine sneered and was about to hover away when he saw someone familiar digging through the rubble.

"Pyther!" Andrew called in, making him look up. "Did everyone get out all right?"

"The patients are safe," Pyther said, still searching. "Morfinn went to make certain the staff still left aren't injured, and I am trying to recover the painting in case someone can't Apparate out."

"I'd better see if Morfinn needs any help, the rest of this building will come down any minute and we're running out of time," Andrew said, stumbling over debris to get through the hallway. "Pyther? It looks like this hallway is blocked, but I can hear voices." Suddenly there was a loud noise and a rumble. "What was that?"

"Was it another collapse?" Pyther asked worriedly.

"Morfinn!" Andrew shouted, going over to where the hall was blocked. But when he listened, there was only silence. He glanced back at Pyther, who wore an expression that matched his thoughts. "Come on, we can't give up on them, help me," Andrew said, pulling away some debris from the top. "There's a hole in there I think I can get through. Wait here by the wall for me."

"Yes, of course," Pyther said, distractedly looking at the pile he had been rummaging. "But what about the painting?"

"Just sketch something on the wall, Pyther," Andrew said, growing smaller and furrier until Pyther found himself looking at a squirrel. The squirrel quickly scampered up to the hole and through it. Pyther sighed, wondering if he even had a pencil, when he heard the sound of growling wolves. Turning in fear, he tried to scream but a lump came to his throat as he saw three wolves standing on what was left of the roof, growling and ready to attack.

Standing right behind them was a figure cloaked in black with red cuffs, and although his face was well covered, Pyther knew immediately who it was.

"Foncé," Pyther said, strangely calm.

"That sound was the sound of my brothers breaking through the wall, _Mortal_ Pyther," Foncé said coolly. "Is that blood I smell?"

"No… no, I don't think so. Not yet, anyway," Pyther said, glancing between the wolves. "I suppose you're going to kill me."

"You should not be alive at all! Your should have never become one of us to begin with!" Foncé hissed.

"Now, there I disagree," Pyther said. "It is quite obvious to me now that I was fated to become a vampire, for without that curse I never would be who I am today. My father was right to save me that night… he gave his life to save my future… a future, which led me to Alicia and the children. Nothing you can do can take that fact away from me, even if you take my life."

Foncé suddenly broke out in a disturbing laugh that made Pyther realize he had never heard him truly laugh before.

"Quite wrong, Mortal Pyther… so very, very wrong! Come, brethren, let us allow him to live a while longer so he can see just how foolish a statement that is!" Foncé said.

"You let him go!" shouted Alicia. She was covered in soot and dust and smelled of smoke, but otherwise looked like she was in one piece.

"Alicia, get out of here!" Pyther snapped, but she was already casting spells at them. Two more wolves came out of the darkness from behind her and knocked her down, but before the could go any further, a large black dog charged in and attacked. Forgetting his own predicament, Pyther managed to get to Alicia and pull her away from the dogfight. But as he did, she managed to get a spell off, and one of the wolves turned to stone and fell to the ground like a toppled statue.

"Who is next?" Alicia asked daringly.

"You are, my dear," Foncé said calmly, making a subtle gesture. Two more vampires landed on the debris, immediately casting at her. How Alicia actually managed to dodge in time had more to do with instinct and luck rather than skill. The two spells hit the wall behind her, and the building shuddered once more.

Just then, Severus leapt into the room and straight into the center, completely ignoring the vampires to either side of him. Even in a short glimpse, it was obvious that things were going no better outside, for his robes were torn and covered in cinder and there were claw marks streaking across his face.

"Get out, get out, get out!" he shouted, and then began muttering ancient words, forming a globe in his hands that got bigger as he spoke.

"The rest of the building is coming down!" rasped Sirius, back in human form and looking even more tattered and torn than Severus. Alicia grabbed Pyther by the arm and dragged him out, dodging spells all the way. A bushy-tailed squirrel darted out of the hallway, following them out.

"Come on, you idiot! There's no one else alive in the building except for you," Sirius shouted at him, despite the fact he was still limping to the doorway and not entirely out yet. But Severus was still chanting, keeping the field going for as long as he could but leaving himself quite open to attack.

"Now I have you," Foncé said with glee, baring his fangs as he readied his wand.

"EradiaaaaAAAAHHH!"

Sirius turned his head in bewilderment as Foncé's incantation turned into a cry of pure terror. His image suddenly became enveloped in a bright white light that burnt out as quickly as it came and left nothing. Howls erupted from around the room as the same began to happen to the wolves, and Sirius found himself watching dumbfounded until a sudden force of invisible power knocked Severus out of the center of the room and against the wall next to the door.

"Damn you for not listening to me! You did this on purpose, you ass!" Sirius swore at him. He roughly grabbed a hold of the unconscious wizard and dragged him out of the building, fully expected to be pulling them both into the middle of a battle. But instead of a battle, there was a mix of tired defenders and baffled RBF airman, some on the ground and others on brooms with their wands still out and looking for something to attack.

"Where did they all go?" Taylor asked in confusion.

"We must have scared them off when we came charging in at the last minute," one of the Broom Force airman decided. Corey gave him a dirty look and was about to comment when he heard a loud creaking noise. Seconds later, what little was still standing collapsed into a heap that left everyone silent for a moment.

"Francis! Francis, what's wrong?" Alicia sobbed. Corey immediately rushed over to where she was laying with Francis on her lap. Beside them was a bloody, exhausted, and rather angry looking Sirius. He was quite begrudgingly looking over a still unconscious Severus who looked as if he had gotten the wind knocked out of him, but otherwise seemed to be all right. Pyther, however, was strangely off-color and almost glossy with cold sweat.

"He went down the moment we were outside, almost as if he had a heart attack," Andrew explained, prompting one of the nurses to come over to his side.

"Something went through me. Something…terrible. I feel so alone and abandoned," he murmured. "It is like nothing seems to matter anymore."

"Nobody is abandoning you, Mr. Pyther," the nurse said, giving him a potion.

"Don't I matter to you, Francis?" Alicia asked. Pyther looked up at her as if noticing her for the first time.

"Alicia! You're still here!" Pyther said with relief.

"Of course, silly, where else would I be?" Alicia asked, hugging him gently.

"He will be all right, I think. His color is coming back," the nurse said, and then went to check Severus. But before she even knelt down, Severus let out a groan and felt his forehead.

"Oh, damn. He's not dead," said Sirius dryly.

"Are you all right, Dad?" Corey asked.

"Something powerful hit the time suspension field," Severus murmured, slowly trying to sit up. "Some sort of disturbance… a disturbance in the time stream."

"Is that anything like a disturbance in the Force?" Sirius asked snidely.

"What sort of disturbance?" Corey asked insistently.

"I'm not sure I could explain it to someone who hasn't studied time differentiations, Corey… it was rather like… a strand of it becoming unraveled and falling away from it… where are we?" he asked, suddenly quite alert as he looked around. "What happened to the vampires?"

"They left although… it didn't look like a normal Dissapparation," Corey said.

"They screamed out in terror before they disappeared," Sirius agreed.

"Then it isn't my imagination," Severus murmured. "They'll all dead."

"You mean destroyed," Sirius said.

"All of them? Even Foncé?" Corey said in shock. Pyther began to sob softly. "But how is that possible? What killed them? Did you do something, Dad?"

"No," Severus said. "Whatever happened to them was not something that should have happened… they should by all accounts still be alive at this point."

"Personally, I prefer them destroyed," Sirius said, allowing the nurse to bind his wounds. "Whoever is behind this is a hero. And the best part about that is that it isn't you for a change."

"Whoever did this broke some fundamental rules of Ancient Magic," Severus snapped at him.

"So? What matters most is that they're gone, isn't it?" Sirius shrugged.

"No, I don't think so," Severus said.

* * *

It had gotten dark quickly in the Forest… and even darker still in the grove where Rafe and the loyal members of the Donnacht clan met. None of them were even aware that a battle was waging in London with the clan members who split with the Marquis. They were too busy jeering at their captive, who was dragged in front of Rafe and pushed to the ground.

Amadeus woke up, weak and hurt, his neck feeling as if was on fire from the ring of bites around it…and yet still alive for the time being, but why he couldn't fathom. Instinctively he felt his sleeve and was more than a little surprised that his wand was still there. It was intentional, he realized. Rafe wanted to show both his followers and Amadeus that his magic was no threat to him. That had been a mistake, Amadeus thought, and the thought repeated itself over and over again in his head so that he could remember it; and in the end, nothing else was remembered in the process. There was no other way; dark spells were weak against vampires of this caliber, and it he had never been strong at that anyway. But this was different… labeled as it was, protected as it was by the Keepers of Dark Magic, it had once been a white spell that had been manipulated and changed over time to do something completely different than its original purpose of cleaning up a line of text so that it could be rewritten. Janus Craw took that spell to the next level. Mallus took that a step further… a step that should have never been taken. But now that Amadeus knew its power, he could not think of any other way to get out of his situation and save his life.

"The pact is ready to meet your approval, Reverent Father," said Sibyl in a quiet, lulling tone. "The next bite should kill him."

"But is it what is best for us?" one of the other elders asked.

"Wars do not last forever, Barnus," Rafe said thoughtfully. "And the deal is more than fair; this man has knowledge of everything my treacherous son has been doing since before the war, everything he knows, and who has helped him. He will make a valuable servant. and once he is one of us will help us crush the dissenters and bring Wingard to face clan justice. We have been informed that he has been deemed a traitor to the Ministry as well, so when his dust is returned to the earth, they will drop their complaint with us as we shall drop ours."

"And in exchange" Barnus asked.

"In exchange, we leave the mortal his life to do with as he sees fit," Rafe said, kneeling before Amadeus and feeling his skin to make certain he was still alive.

"That is all?" Barnus asked in surprise.

"Like most mortals, he deems his life more valuable than it actually is," Rafe said. "Either way, we have been delivered the means to destroy those who dared oppose us! We shall rise again and be stronger then ever before! Let this morsel be the first of a new generation of Donnacht… the Clan of the Sunset Dawn shall never die!"

"Maybe not," Amadeus murmured weakly, pulling his head away and pulling out his wand. "But you and your descendants will. _Eradicus Terratide!"_

The wand let out a bright light that immediately enveloped the vampire, a light so bright that all the other vampires recoiled and even Rafe had to cover his eyes with his arm.

"What is that spell? What have you done to me? I can't… I don't…AAAAHHH!" he suddenly screamed in terror.

Suddenly all the other vampires starting with the ones standing closest to him was enveloped in the same light, their screams matching Rafe's own as they became brighter and brighter. Like dominoes the light continued until every single one of them was consumed in it… one of the last being Sibyl, who had been staggering backwards from the sight of what was going on. But then she noticed the light around her own hands and then she too was but a silhouette of light rather than any semblance of the creature she had become. At last, the light where Rafe had stood finally began to fade leaving nothing… nothing at all. Soon the other lights followed, fading away until Amadeus Longbottom was alone in the Forest.

"That can't be right," Amadeus said, shaking his head when he heard his own voice. "They can't all… they can't all have been his descendants! They all…. Foncé… is he… I have to know," he stuttered, Disapparating.

But by the time he arrived, the hospital was in complete ruin. A large number of airman were wandering around the area, and the remnants of an ice wall blocked off part of the property.

"Good god, man, are you all right?" asked someone who came up behind him. "Hullo! Any nurses still about? This man must have a neck of steel. It looks like half the clan took a chunk out of his neck! How did you get here?" he asked curiously.

Suddenly there was a loud scuffle as Corey caught sight of him, but before he could launch himself at him, Danny and Andrew quickly grabbed his arms.

"Don't just stand there, arrest that bastard!" Corey shouted at a pair of Enforcers.

"Where are the other vampires?" Amadeus asked, ignoring him. "Did they leave? Or did they disappear too?"

"Too?" Danny repeated.

"They were enveloped by a bright light and then faded away," Sirius said, coming up behind them.

"The Marquis as well?" Amadeus asked shakily.

"Yes, him too," Sirius said impatiently. "What do you know about this, Amadeus?"

"I… I did it. I killed them all, damn it! They were going to kill me… I had no other choice! I didn't know they'd all die!" Amadeus shouted at them hysterically.

"Are you trying to tell us that you are responsible for destroying Foncé and his vampire friends?" Sirius said, shocked and begrudgingly impressed.

"No… no it's worse than that!" Amadeus snapped, looking quite unsteady.

"Gentlewizards, please, can't you see this man is hurt?"

"Whatever he got, he probably deserved it," Corey said.

"I think I agree with Corey on that point," Sirius said. "What did you do, Amadeus?"

"I cast a spell on Rafe that erased his existence…and because of it, all of his descendants were erased as well," Amadeus said. Sirius gaped at him, the significance hitting him like a thrown brick. "I didn't know they all were descended from him! A handful maybe, but the rest…"

"Just what the hell did you think a clan was, anyway? What gives you the right to commit genocide?" Sirius said angrily.

"I was just trying to save myself," Amadeus sobbed.

"That much I believe," Corey said dryly, then glanced back at his father who stepped out from behind the wall. "So now we know what the spell does."

"Yes, and it is as bad as I had feared," Severus said worriedly. But Amadeus had suddenly stopped crying.

"What are you doing here?" Amadeus asked flatly.

"Surprised to see me, are you? Oh, it must have been you behind that silly stunt with the badgimera, then?" Severus said.

"That was War's idea, not mine! Nelson, I mean!" Amadeus blurted out. "He was trying to lure you back and sneak into the school so he could use that spell on you!"

Severus turned as white as a sheet, wearing the expression of someone who had been splashed in the face with ice-cold water.

"Where is Nelson now?" Severus demanded.

"I don't know, he set me up hoping that Rafe would do him a favor and get rid of me. He's probably still in the castle," Amadeus said. Severus immediately put his hand in his pocket and disappeared.

* * *

Jennifer paused at the stairs as Lucky went up to the Gryffindor rooms, and then led Llewellyn towards Ravenclaw.

"Are you sure he's going to be all right? I mean… everyone," Leu amended as they walked down the hall.

"There's nothing to worry about. Your father has handled a lot worse things than a pack of vampires," Jennifer said distractedly, shifting Quintin to her other arm.

"But they hurt him once, didn't they?" Leu asked solemnly. Jennifer paused, gazing at him searchingly.

"Now how did you hear about that?" Jennifer asked. Leu shrugged. "I see. You shouldn't listen in to other people's conversations, even if they're related. What Lucky and Alicia were talking about happened a very long time ago when Severus was still a boy. But I think he's come a long way from then, don't you?"

"I wouldn't know, I didn't know him as a boy," Leu said so seriously, that Jennifer chuckled softly.

"Well, neither did I, but all the same you'll have to take my word for it. He's not even much the same as he was when we got married, really," Jennifer said, stopping at the painting.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Leu asked.

"Good, all good. It's only bad when people stop changing," Jennifer explained.

"So is that why the Stone is all right? I mean, because you don't stop changing?" Leu asked. "I mean, vampires are suspended, but they never change."

"They also cause pain and take life to stay that way," Jennifer said. "Francis was a rare exception to the rule… he kept his soul, he never harmed anyone, and he gave back as much as he could."

"You and Father do that as well," Leu said.

"That is why we were given the stone in the first place, actually. So we have more time to serve both the school and humanity in general, although I admit sometimes it feels like we do more than our fair share," Jennifer chuckled dryly.

"I see. I suppose that's all right, then," Leu said. "So does that mean Uncle Sirius is angry because he doesn't want the responsibility?"

"Sirius has paid his debt and more, if anything, society owes him a few decades," Jennifer said. "Never mind, we'll just see how things turn out. I really need to go downstairs and see how bad the damage is, so you should go in."

"And you're sure everything will be all right?" Leu said.

"Would I be so calm if I didn't think so? Now, hurry in, I'm sure you have something you could be studying for," Jennifer said.

"Yes'm," Leu said, going into the common room.

"Well, that is two down," Jennifer said, glancing at Quintin. But as she began walking to their rooms, a peculiar feeling went through her. With everything going on, it didn't feel right to leave him in the room alone, even as trustworthy as Rasputin and Descartes were. Was it just fear because of the events at the hospital and of the badgimera? For some reason, Hogwarts didn't feel safe at that moment, despite the fact that it had felt safe up until that point, even when the vampires in the Dark Forest earlier that year.

"Let's go, Quintin. The sooner I check the damage to the greenhouses, the sooner I can order a lockdown," Jennifer said after thinking it over for a while. "And then I can put you to bed where you belong."

"Professor Craw?" Commander Bellamy called out when she came down the stairs. "I've come to escort you to the greenhouses, Professor."

"I do know where they are," Jennifer chided him gently.

"Yes, but under the circumstances, I think certain extra precautions should be in order, Professor," Bellamy said insistently.

"You sound just like my husband, Ace," Jennifer said dryly.

"Thank you, ma'am," Bellamy said solemnly, politely gesturing for her to go first. "Professor Weasley is still out there, although I have been informed that the damage is not as severe as it would seem. I'm afraid the plants did not fare as well. Everything in the main greenhouse and all the bulbs in the garden have been completely destroyed."

"Madame Willowby will be quite upset about that, but on the bright side I think she keeps her most exotic experiments at home. It will set her classes back though…" she said, her words trailing off when she stepped outside and saw the skeletonized greenhouse and the clawed up turf and debris. Carefully she stepped through what used to be a wall, remembering belatedly to breathe when she saw Hermione and John standing in the middle of it.

"How exactly is this not as severe as it looks?" Jennifer asked in annoyance.

"Now, don't worry, Jennifer," Hermione said when she saw her expression. "The structure is still pretty sound, most of the damage is the glass, part of one wall. John said he could probably do all the repairs himself.

"Aye, I can. An' I can probably use the scrap from the old boat shed to rebuild the planting boxes and such. Nuthin' tae worry about," John Carnegie said.

"Except for where it is that badgimera came from in the first place," Jennifer said with a sigh.

"It was a rather large one, and bred to be especially mean," Bellamy commented. "It is sedated and with Sagittari now. I did go over the perimeter thoroughly, Professor, and there are no breaches in the wall nor burrows or any visible damage other than what the Elf Willow caused."

"Elf Willow?" Jennifer said with surprise.

"It uprooted itself trying to get at someone," Hermione explained. "It somehow managed to get itself right up to the edge of the wall."

Jennifer frowned, glancing at the back wall.

"They could have thrown anything back there," Jennifer said, more to herself than to the others. "I want this school on lockdown. Bellamy, please secure things here and then ask Sally to secure the gates and come inside. Hermione, if you have anything to finish up, you had better go do ahead and do it so you can get home before the lockout."

"I'll stay if you need me, you know that," Hermione said immediately.

"Bellamy is here, and Severus is with Alicia, so he can get back if he needs to. Besides, you've had to deal with more than your fair share of these lockouts already this year. And… I feel as if everyone should be with their families tonight," Jennifer murmured.

"What is it, Jennifer?" Hermione asked with a frown. Jennifer glanced at Quintin, who had managed to fall asleep again.

"I don't know… perhaps it's nothing. All the same, let's err on the side of caution, shall we?"

"Now you sound like Severus," Hermione said.

"There is definitely a bit of that, going around," Jennifer said with a wry grin. "Be careful."

"You too," Hermione said. "I'll do the dorm count on the way out."

"Thank you," Jennifer said.

"Professor? A moment if you please before you go in," Bellamy called from the far side of the greenhouse.

"I don't think I can safely get over there at the moment," Jennifer decided.

"I will bring what I found to you," Bellamy said, carefully working his way over to what used to be part of the irrigation channel and holding it up. "Do you see that sticky substance all over it?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Have you done any tests on it, Ace?" she asked.

"It's honey," he said. "There's a great deal of it spread out over the side of the building nearest the wall."

"Honey? Inside the wall?" Jennifer said agape. "But how could anyone possibly get through the security spells undetected?"

"It haven't the faintest idea, really, the security here is as tight as an airbase," Bellamy mused.

"Thank you, but that doesn't change the facts," Jennifer sighed. "We had better lock down the school as soon as possible."

"But if someone did manage to get his far, we may be locking someone in who shouldn't be in the school," Bellamy pointed out.

"Yes, I know, but it can't be helped," Jennifer said. "I'm going to go make sure the lab is ready for lockdown and then will be in the Headmaster's Study if you find anything."

"I'll make every effort to make certain the school is secure, Professor," Bellamy said with determination before hurrying towards the gate.

Jennifer glanced around, stretching her senses as she wondered if she was being watched. Feeling nothing, she relaxed and went down to her office. Putting Quintin down on the couch she rubbed her shoulders in relief. She pocketed a potion for mild muscle pain before sliding a series of bars over the door to the Perch and then carefully secured the Cauldron behind the fireplace.

"Professor," she said, glancing above the mantle to see that she was already being carefully watched by the portrait of Severus Snape. "I've ordered the school on lockdown because of the badgimera incident, but there is some concern that someone might have gotten in the school that shouldn't be," she explained. He frowned, watching as she locked the potion vault. "I'm getting ready to go upstairs to check the maps, but could you find out if any of the others have seen anything odd?" Nodding in understanding, the Severus portrait walked out of the frame.

"Come on, Quintin. I need to go to the study to check the map, and you need to get to your own bed, safe and sound with Rasputin and Descartes to look after you," Jennifer murmured, picking him gently back off the couch. Quintin woke up from the movement, looking around sleepily. "Oh, no. I didn't mean to wake you," Jennifer said, hoping that it wasn't a sign that he would be up all night. The sooner he got to his regular bed, the better chance that he would go back to sleep, she reasoned, locking her office then opening a secret passage behind the hall staircase, hoping to cut off some time to the lift.

She was halfway there when she felt a strange prickling sensation on her neck that didn't let up even after she picked up the pace. She turned down a side corridor and was about to open what looked to be a broom closet door when there was a flash in front of her; a spell hitting near her hand. Immediately, she pulled it away and slid her wand out of her sleeve, turning on her assailant.

"Odd… that should have hit you dead on. It doesn't matter… I won't miss the next time," Nelson said.

_ "Expelliarmus!"_ Jennifer snapped, trying to put all of her force into it. But when she finished her wrist movement and aimed at her target, she felt rather strange. It didn't feel like any power went into it at all. In fact, it felt as if she were pointing a stick at someone. Nelson, poised to block the incoming spell, gazed at her quizzically, while Jennifer was quite taken aback.

"Oh, now don't tell me you're expecting again. Don't you know when to stop?" Nelson said with open disgust. But Jennifer was distracted, gazing at Quintin as if seeing him for the first time.

"Um… no… but you had better put down your wand now before it's too late!" Jennifer said.

"It is already too late," Nelson said, playing with his wand.

"Well, if you want to tangle with me, you can at least have the decency to let me put the baby somewhere safe…" Jennifer said

"It doesn't matter where he is, or any of your children for that matter," Nelson said with a rather nasty smile. "All I need to do is kill you, and the rest will disappear like an unwanted spell. It is a pity they sent you instead of Severus, but I think in the end it will destroy him too," he said, raising his wand.

"Don't do it! I don't want to kill you!" Jennifer said, holding her wand up to block despite the fact there was no way she knew if her magic was even working or not.

_"Eradicarus Terratide!" _Nelson entoned, his voice full of so much power that Jennifer had no doubt that magic was working.

But before she could react, the secret door she had been standing in front of opened wide, blocking her and Quintin and causing the spell to dissipate harmlessly against the back of the door.

_"Ashada Dusata!" _shouted the unmistakable voice of Severus, and Jennifer quickly pulled Quintin to her and shut her eyes tight as Nelson let out a scream as he began aging at an accelerated rate; decades dropping off seconds until he finally shriveled away completely, reduced to a pile of dust on the floor.

"It is all right to look now," Severus said, a bit shaken despite his calm tone as he slowly moved the door out of the way. Immediately he found a much relieved Jennifer in his arms, along with Quintin who decided that now might be a good time to pout and blubber a bit.

"We are going to have a little talk about your poor timing, young man," Jennifer chided him, gratefully handing him over to Severus.

"So you finally believe me, do you?" Severus said with exasperation.

"Yes, but that wasn't exactly what I meant," Jennifer admitted with a mystical smile. That was Severus realized that his sleeve was wet.


	41. Trial Basis

_a/n Happy Yule, Solstice and Eclipse everyone! Two chapters left; last one will be put in sometime tomorrow._

Chapter Forty-One

Trial Basis

"I'm not so sure we should be the ones doing this," Harry said as he and Aurelius walked through a part of the Tower of London that Muggles didn't even know was still there.

"I don't care. I want to know what he's thinking," Aurelius replied as they turned into the jail.

While they were still signing off on paperwork, Draco and Thomas walked in, glancing between them.

"I suppose you're here for the same reason we are," Draco said. "Well, come on then, if you're coming. There is a guard waiting to escort us in."

"Let's go," Harry said. Aurelius nodded, and the two of them followed behind.

When they got there, Amadeus was leaning against the back wall of his cell with his arm covering his eyes. When he heard the rattling at his door and noticed who was standing there, he covered them with both arms instead.

"Please go away," Amadeus moaned.

"Do you want a counselor present?" Draco asked crisply.

"It doesn't matter. You're going to kill me anyway," Amadeus said.

"That would depend on you and how much you cooperate," Draco said evenly. Aurelius and Harry stared at Draco. "Who is the fourth Horseman? The one using the proxy device?"

"The only other horseman still alive," Thomas added for good measure.

"Nelson?" Amadeus asked quietly.

"Severus was forced to kill him in a clear case of self defense," Thomas said. The two Aurors glance over at Thomas questioningly, but Thomas didn't offer any more.

"He was dead anyway. Technically, you all are, considering the penalty for being a traitor is death," Draco said.

Amadeus suddenly put his arms down, looking over at Draco with a wide-eyed panicked expression.

"But it wasn't my fault… it wasn't my idea! Nelson manipulated me into joining and they told me more than once that they would have killed me if I didn't go along with it! I can't even count the times they threatened me… they gave me no choice! Besides, I didn't help with setting up the Ministry, and I wasn't involved in killing anybody… except the vampires… but that was self defense and I didn't know…" Amadeus covered his eyes again.

"Of course it was. I haven't seen a neck that covered in bite marks in years. Of course, that won't save you from the charge of being a traitor. Not unless you cooperate, that is," Draco said.

"What do you mean unless he cooperates?" Harry said with such open anger that Thomas raised an eyebrow at him.

"The hell with cooperation, just let us tie his arms back and I'll find out what you want to know," Aurelius said. "I say we put him in front of an RBF wand brigade."

"No, please! I'll tell you whatever you want to know!" Amadeus promised, letting his arm fall away. "On one condition."

"You're in absolutely no position to bargain," Draco snapped.

"If I do get out of a death sentence, I want that spell erased from my memory…taken out of my memory," he corrected in a mumble.

"Do you realize you're asking us to do something that is technically illegal now?" Draco said. "Considering in some ways you were the one who caused all of that to happen."

"I'll do it," Thomas grunted. "There will be less of a fuss if I do. But I won't do it until after we've gotten a full confession out of him… and depending on if we prosecute him as a traitor or an accomplice to one. For some reason I have a hard time swallowing the idea that you joined something like this out of fear."

"They were going to help me with that potioning incident which you as LE Minister failed to do anything about!" Amadeus snapped.

"I see. Is that it?" Thomas asked, unperturbed.

Suddenly there was a scuffle behind him, and he and Draco both looked around as Harry forcefully pulled Aurelius out of the room and around the corner.

"Justice, remember? Our justice, not his," Harry reminded him, pushing him against the wall.

"Justice would be putting him on trial for being a traitor and killing the bastard," Aurelius said viciously.

"You think I don't agree with you on this? All three of us took an oath that he was going to be brought to justice without anyone else getting put in prison for murdering him, remember?" Harry said, keeping his voice low.

"You have no idea what he was thinking just now," Aurelius said with gritted teeth.

"I bet I could guess," Harry said with a sigh.

"Do you mind sharing with the rest of us?" Harry and Aurelius jumped slightly when they saw that Thomas had come out of the cell and was standing there, watching the exchange with a critical eye. "I'd like to know what he was thinking as well."

"He was thinking how much he had wanted to be able to erase all of us Snapes," Aurelius said carefully.

"Obviously. Who wouldn't in his position? It can't have been so much of a surprise that you'd want to dismantle him in his cell," Thomas said.

"I guess you could say it was the way he was thinking about it," Aurelius said, trying to look more composed. "It simply struck a nerve, that's all."

"That's a Snape for you," Harry agreed in support.

"Actually, I think the impulse to immediately obliterate anyone who angers him comes from my side of the family," Thomas mused. "Fortunately, it's tempered by our family loyalty; typically, we're only able to curb that impulse when we realize that following through will harm the family more than the relief would bring."

"Or, it could be simply that my boss saw the signs and got me out before I could do something irreversible," Aurelius said defensively.

"A temporary setback," Thomas shrugged. "I notice you're not trying to charge in there now, despite the fact that Harry doesn't have you pinned to the wall any longer."

"Craw, get in here!" Malfoy barked, and Thomas went back in with a mere glance over his shoulder to let them know he wasn't buying it completely. Taking a deep breath, Aurelius nodded to Harry's questioning gaze and the two of them followed him back inside. "All right, Amadeus. Tell them everything you just told me," Draco ordered. Amadeus had his head down, but whether it was his way of trying to look repentant or a way to keep Aurelius from getting a full view of his face, Harry wasn't sure. "Who is the fourth member of the Four Horsemen?"

"Ludo Bagman," Amadeus said, looking up at Thomas who had a pained expression on his face, hitting his hand with his fist.

"I was onto him! I just couldn't find any evidence!" Thomas growled.

"You're not the only one," Harry said.

"This whole thing was his idea… he's the one who got us together and he's the one who made all the decisions… and he was the one who framed the Minister of Mysteries to try and find out who it was so he could make sure she didn't find out who was behind it. And he used the vampires to try and get Foncé what he wanted, which was control of the clan. Nelson just wanted the profit of it all, and to see the end of the Snapes… but they all wanted to see that."

"I think the correct pronoun is "we,"" Aurelius said coolly.

"But how did he get away with it? We went through the entire cell… never mind the body search that earned us an ethics lawsuit," Thomas said in annoyance.

"I don't know he didn't tell me. But it was Bagman who started all of this," Amadeus said. Draco glanced at Aurelius.

"He's telling the truth," Aurelius said expressionlessly. Harry glanced at Aurelius and back to Draco.

"Well, I think it's high time for Aurelius and me to pay Bagman a visit then. We're allowed to have a Truth-seeker in there if he's accused of a major crime, right?" Harry said.

"We'll all go," Draco said.

"Hey! What about me?" Amadeus asked in a panic.

"Testify against Bagman and the others, and we'll simply convict you of breaking your parole and conducting criminal activities with known traitors to the Ministry," Draco said.

"What?" Harry said in shock, waiting until the cell was locked and they were well away from it before continuing. "Surely that's not all you're going to charge him with. What about using illegal spells, kidnapping, and murder? At least a knowing accessory to one…"

"Right now we need to concentrate on Bagman," Draco snapped, storming ahead.

"He's not happy about it any more than the rest of us," Thomas said. "Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing the little toad get his due, but unfortunately there's no way to do that without the entire Ministry committing political suicide. Amadeus Longbottom is solely responsible for the destruction of the Donnacht Clan and therefore ending the war. Death sentences have to be approved by the counsel and regardless what he has done, they are unlikely to consider such a fate for the 'hero' of the decade, are they?"

"You mean that whole plea bargain was an empty threat to begin with?" Aurelius asked, a bit flustered.

"A calculated risk that seems to have paid off," Thomas with a nod, the four of them signing out before heading to Azkaban.

Thatcher Boltin blinked in surprise as they appeared in the entrance hall, having just passed through the first security checkpoint to get there.

"You got here quite fast. I wasn't even certain that news had reached you yet, considering you weren't at the Ministry when I tried to get a message to you," Boltin said.

"What news?" Thomas asked his friend with a frown.

"I received word from a Mysteries operative that the Minister's office was broken into and that the Minister now believes Bagman is behind the whole thing and to keep him awake until they could get a Truth-Seeker in here to find out where and how he hid the proxy device," Boltin said.

"So the Minister of Mysteries thinks it must be Bagman? Well, I'm convinced. That means we won't need Amadeus, right?" Harry suggested.

"It won't work, Potter, so you might as well stop bringing it up," Draco snapped, heading towards the checkpoint.

The halls were filled with even more guards with usual; all of their best enchanters were there keeping an eye on things regardless of what their normal shift was. At the cell door stood Hinge, his wand at the ready and looking in at Bagman with an angry expression. But Aurelius saw that the anger wasn't focused on Bagman; Hinge was angry at himself for not having caught what was going on under his watch. Without a word, the guard let them in to Bagman's cell. The bed had been removed, but the cell was otherwise unchanged since the last time Draco had come to call upon him.

"This doesn't look like a social call, and as such, I really think my counselor should be present," Ludo said, calm but wary.

"You can do your complaining after the fact," Draco said coldly. "Where is the proxy device?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ludo said. His thoughts clouded over almost immediately, but not quickly enough.

"It's in his mouth. His dentist managed to hide it as a filling," Aurelius said.

Immediately, Thomas and Harry dove into action, catching Bagman and forcing him against the wall. He was surprisingly strong, much more than either of them expected, and in the end, Hinge jumped in with a charm to weaken him. Without a second thought to regulations or any sort of red tape, the two men pried his mouth open and Thomas put a wand in his mouth, completely ignoring Bagman's howl of protest as he began yanking out his back molars with a spell. They went shooting across the floor, and Aurelius got the unpleasant job of inspecting them.

"Here is the right one," Aurelius said after the third tooth.

"Bagman, you are under arrest for high treason, punishable by death… and for some reason, I don't think the council is going to be lenient this time, considering that this string of crimes are probably not the only ones you've committed out of the comfort of this jail cell," Draco said cool, dodging the blood being spat at him. "Complain all you like to your solicitor about your treatment. It isn't going to work this time."

"So your Minister of Mysteries finally wised up, didn't she?" Ludo said, wiping the blood off his chin.

"We were always onto you," Thomas growled. "If you had succeeded in killing her, I'd have been even more certain you were behind it."

"Not necessarily. Being with the Mysteries department has always been a dangerous position. One slip up, and all the enemies you have accumulated in your time as Minister turn on you when you least expect it. She will still be dead within the week. I have confided in several to her identity, and if anything happened to me, they will quickly release that information to the public in a way you won't be able to stop it from spreading," Ludo said. Draco laughed at him.

"If anyone working against the Ministry found out who the Minister of Mysteries was, they should be terrified out of their minds," Draco said. "Any beetle or bird or even a cockroach that wanders by can turn into an informant, no codes of any type can be used without her reading it, not even hand gestures. And despite the fact she often appears unfocused on the surface, she has the intellect of a Craw, the wits of a Snape, and I've seen all too often that you don't want to be at the other end of her wand. On top of that, no matter what sort of planted cronies you might have sworn to seek revenge if you die, that would pale in comparison to what her family would do if something happened to her. I'm not worried. Let it go public for all I care. If anything, I think the wizard community would trust us more if they knew the truth. They're also going to know the truth about you, Bagman, and that won't be quite as pretty. No one is likely to forgive you this time."

"We shall see," Bagman said, looking away in apparent disinterest of any further conversation.

"Come on, I've wasted enough breath on him, and I have an emergency council meeting to arrange," Draco said coldly, walking out of the room.

The rest of them filed out as well to see Boltin standing outside with a concerned expression on his face. They all watched with mixed expressions as Hinge secured the door.

"I would like more guards on him… I wouldn't even discuss the weather with him unless there are two of you, no matter how capable they are," Draco said, nodding to Hinge. "And no visitors, not even Jeffers, until he is transported to the council chamber for the trial. Anything else?" Draco said, partially to himself rather than anyone in specific, but Thomas cleared his throat.

"I believe I have a dentist to arrest, if I can get information on him," Thomas said.

"I can take you to see the warden, then. He'll have all of that in his office," Boltin offered. Thomas immediately groaned, remembering what it was like to have to go through all those doors, but then nodded in acceptance.

"Rel and I should get back to the Ministry and check in and see if Percy needs any help with the refugees from the hospital," Harry suggested. "And I need to get a hold of Vallid about something." Aurelius nodded to him in acceptance.

"Is the Minister of Mysteries going to be all right?" Hinge asked suddenly.

"She'll be fine, just worry about Bagman. I wouldn't trust him even now, proxy device or not," Draco warned. "I won't trust him until he's dead."

"Even that would be a debatable condition," Thomas grunted as they all began walking down the hall.

* * *

Alex woke up feeling warm and quite comfortable, sleepily opening her eyes to see a vaulted red-painted ceiling with ornate woodwork. She heard a sound… the closing of a heavy book, she realized, then focused in on the shadow over her and smiled when she saw it was Ben.

"No headache today?" he asked.

"Feeling better now… and hungry," she added.

"I'll ring for room service," Ben chuckled. Alex blinked, wondering if she had heard him right.

"Room service?" she finally repeated, sitting up. She then stared agape at the luxurious room she was in, for never had she been in such a room in her entire life. Mounds of quilted red and gold blankets with fine scrollwork were covering her legs and pillows so fluffy she couldn't fathom what filled them. Lush, thick carpets covered the floors that she was sure her feet would sink into should she touch the floor, and huge diamond cut windows looked out onto snowcapped London rooftops. "Where are we? The last thing I remember was lying on makeshift cot on the island and… Bagman. This is all Bagman's fault!"

"Don't worry, they heard you, Alex. He's under stricter guard and they found the proxy device," Ben assured her.

"Where?" Alex asked intently.

"Dental filling," Ben said, and Alex groaned.

"I should have thought of that," she grumbled.

"Even you can't imagine every possibility," Ben said, getting up and pulling a rope, making Alex wonder about the room again.

"This is somewhere in London… not Buckingham Palace or anything?"

Ben couldn't help but laugh at that.

"We're in the penthouse at Coven Suites. I'm told it's their best room," Ben said.

"The one my mother talked about with the gold potion set?" Alex said, looking around wide-eyed.

"That's the one," Ben chuckled. "Mr. Coventry offered up the entire hotel for the hospital's use until the funding committee can find a temporary facility."

"Why, that two-faced bastard! Would he pick a side?" Alex said hotly.

"I suppose he would, if he remembered half the things he's been doing," Ben explained with an apologetic smile. "Apparently anytime Bagman asked a favor of him his memory was wiped a few hours later. Besides, he's on the hospital committee, so it isn't all that out of character, and I seriously doubt he would have wanted anyone at the hospital hurt even if he had all of his memory. I think what he really wanted was Draco out of office and your father to lose his job."

"That would be like him," Alex admitted, leaning back in resignation. There was a quick knock at the door, and the two of them looked up to see a nurse coming up with a tray.

"Good morning, Minister Clemmons! You're looking much better," she smiled, bringing over the tray. "I brought enough for the both of you, not that the kitchen staff wouldn't have insisted. I think you'll find it a step up from what we normally serve, but I imagine not quite as healthy. Doctor Bliant already expressed his opinion to them on that one," she added in a lower voice.

"Thanks, I'm starving," Alex admitted.

"We thought you might be, but take it easy for the first few bites to make certain it agrees with you," she advised. Alex took one bite, then blinked.

"Wait, what?" Alex said flatly.

"Is your stomach churning already?" she asked with concern.

"No, not that. What did you call me?" Alex asked. The nurse frowned at her as if not understanding, but then there was another quick knock at the door and Morfinn walked in.

"Good morning, Alex, or should I say, Minister Alex," he teased, walking over and taking her pulse with one hand while doing a quick wave of the wand with the other. "You're looking much better today… a bit stunned though."

"How do you know that I'm a Minister?" Alex asked.

"Oh, everyone knows. It's in the papers," he said with a smile. "You didn't tell her?"

"I haven't had the chance yet," Ben admitted. "The Minister of Magic made an official announcement, and in the same breath cleared you from having anything to do with the war. So there's nothing to worry about."

"There's everything to worry about! How can I do my job if everyone knows it's me?" Alex said. "I'll have to quit."

"Only if you want to. Minister Malfoy made it perfectly clear that he has every intention in keeping you in that position," Ben said.

"He's not kidding. I've heard Malfoy turn on more than one person in the lobby who suggested a replacement. He said he has never believed in firing anyone who was loyal to him, and he wasn't about to start now," Morfinn said. "In some ways, I think it'll be easier. Let the agents do all the sneaking about; you've got too much work to do to worry about that too. Seriously, just think about how much time you spend just covering your tracks a week. Hours best spent elsewhere, I'd say."

"The last thing I need is more free time to fill," Alex said irritably.

"Why don't you use it to get back in touch with your personal life?" Morfinn suggested. Alex blinked.

"Don't tell me that made the papers too!" Alex wailed.

"Uh… no," Morfinn said with an enigmatic smile before turning to Ben. "We need to wait and make sure the food stays down and her strength doesn't wane after a few hours, but if all goes well, she can return home this evening."

"Lovely," Alex said with such lack of enthusiasm that both of them gazed at her questioningly. "I don't really have a home any more, it's somewhere I am simply obligated to visit. Here… Ministry…flat…Polaris Town… I am tired of being shuffled around! I don't want to go home again! Not unless I'm allowed to stay. I hate being an Omnivox!"

"Now you don't really mean that," Ben said with a sigh.

"Being an Omnivox is part of what makes you who you are, Alex," Morfinn said. "It can't be helped, any more than your brothers and Alicia can help the oddities of their talents. Aurelius especially has had it rough… especially after making the mistake of trying to hide it for so long. Headmaster Snape tells me your younger son has the same talent… and, although I know I can't really do anything about the two of your personal relationship with each other, it is my professional opinion that he would benefit most from having two parents close to him to help him through it."

"But what about the language thing?" Alex asked.

"Janus is in school, so has other ways to learn. Icarus was never hampered by your presence like Janus was, since you left before he truly started developing it," Morfinn explained. "Now that he has Truth Seeking abilities, your talent has become a moot point, since he could read anyone equally so long as he can see their face. I think it's safe to say it is no longer an issue. You can move back in whenever you like, assuming that you want to, and that Ben wants you to." Alex looked rather uncomfortable, and Ben didn't seem very anxious to speak. "I suppose I should let you talk. Let me know if she can't keep that down or she gets sleepy, Ben."

"Thanks, doctor," Ben said, Morfinn giving him an encouraging smile on his way out of the room. He then turned back to Alex, who was stabbing her eggs with a fork with a distracted look on her face. "You're supposed to eat it, not kill it. The sooner you do, the more likely you'll get out of here," he coaxed.

"Do you want me out of here? I mean… do you want me to come back?" Alex asked quietly.

"That depends on what you want," Ben said seriously back. "Are you going to quit you job?"

"Quit my job?" Alex repeated, feeling a pit in her stomach. Finally, she shook her head. "No, I won't. I'll leave if Draco wants me to, but… he depends on me, and so do all of the agents, and I'm so close to making a breakthrough in several different mysteries I've been investigating. I want to be with my family, but there are other people who rely on me as well, and I don't want to stop being who I am just because I have a family. I don't mind sharing my life, but giving it away is another thing entirely. I hope you don't take that the wrong way, because I really do want to go home, even if I am terrified it won't work. You and the boys have changed so much since this started… and so have I, and to be perfectly honest, I don't know if it'll work out no matter how hard we try. But I'm not going to run away from a job that fits me like a glove because I'm afraid of becoming my mother anymore, and I'm not going to run from my family even if I don't know them anymore either. I just want… I'm talking too much again, aren't I?" she said, looking a little flustered. But Ben was smiling at her.

"I don't mind. I've never minded it," Ben said. "Go right ahead."

"Um, I forgot what I was going to say… and I'm still waiting to hear what you have to say too."

"Have you any idea how many times I went to the family services office in the Ministry to file divorce papers?" Ben asked in such a casual tone that Alex could only blink. "Eight times, actually. One week I tried it three days in a row at different times of the day… it never worked, of course. Nothing I tried ever seemed to work… he always seemed to be one step ahead of me."

"Oh, no. You don't mean my father, do you?" Alex said with a grimace.

"The odd thing about it was that he never asked what I was doing there or wanted to talk about what might have driven me to it. He simply told me stories about the year he moved out on Jennifer. Some of them were rather comical… mostly about how everything seemed to get in his way. After a while those made me angry, because I wondered why no one seemed so intent to stand in your way. Later I realized it was because it was already too late by that point. He also told me a lot about what he was going through, what he was thinking at the time and why he did it. By the end, I was half tempted to get a divorce just so I could be rid of his meddling in my personal affairs," Ben admitted wryly. "But the last time I dashed to the Ministry to file, he wasn't there. No hiding behind a desk pretending to be a clerk, or lurking behind the main doors, or any of the other stunts he pulled when he was intentionally getting in the way of it. Perhaps he had a class that hour, or something else came up with the school… but it was then that I realized how dependant I had become in him trying to stop me," Ben murmured.

"In that case, it might have been intentional," Alex said

"That thought had occurred to me as well," Ben admitted. "But it was after that I made up my own mind to wait and see how things turned out… to find out what was really going on, no matter how much it hurt. To be honest, I was actually a little relieved to find out how much of your sneaking about had to do with your job. At least not all of that sneaking about was for the wrong reasons."

"I would have told you sooner about that part if I could have," Alex said. "And to use that for any other purposes other than my job was more than unfair."

"Yes," Ben agreed solemnly. "But if you would have told me just now that you were prepared to quit to come back to me, I wouldn't have taken you back."

"What?" Alex said, a bit stunned.

"If you were still lying to yourself, you wouldn't have any trouble lying to me again," Ben explained, cleaning up some of the dishes. "But since you seem to have made progress, I'm willing to take a second chance at this."

"You really have changed… and I don't mean the potion and defense lessons," Alex said. "You seem more…well… assertive."

"Perhaps it's because somewhere along the way I realized that I'm entitled to my own life too," Ben said.

"I think… it's a good thing," Alex said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You know… this isn't going like I wanted. Hi, my name is Alexandria Snape Clemmons. Can I buy you a drink sometime?"

"Right now, I'd settle for a hug," Ben decided, and Alex pushed the tray away with a smile and leaned into his chest as he put his arms around her. He was holding her rather tight, but Alex found she didn't mind so much… in fact, they were still in that position when Morfinn finally decided to check up on him again.

* * *

Amadeus tossed and turned in his sleep, as nightmares of horses, vampires, and even Bagman in Death's robes, turning on him for his failures. A dragon's roar startled him and he woke up panting and rubbing his eyes, quite relieved to find himself in his drab white holding cell in Tower Prison.

"Looks like he is awake after all," the guard said, sounding close by. Amadeus looked around to see the guard standing at the bars. "Your counselor is here for a quick word, Mr. Longbottom."

"Counselor?" Amadeus said in surprise and then sat up, wondering if Bagman had sent Jeffers to dispose of him. So when Lunette Vallid stepped into view, his jaw dropped in completely dumbfounded.

"No, Longbottom, I am not here to assassinate you, but I would keep worrying about it," Vallid said icily. "I am here to represent you. You can refuse, of course, but I wouldn't recommend it."

"You're willing to represent me? Why?" Amadeus frowned.

"Because as much as I hate you, there are people that I care about more. If you're wise, you'll let me leave it at that. In exchange for my services, you are going to make an Agreement with me," Vallid said.

"What sort of an agreement?" Amadeus asked warily.

"You are going to give up women," Vallid said with a forced smile. "No more fetishes, no girlfriends – paid or otherwise. I don't even want to see one on your staff at work. And if you break this agreement, all the girlfriends that have mysteriously disappeared over the last couple of years are suddenly going to reappear and there will be a rather nasty civil case against you in which I assure you that Thomas, Severus, and Corey will all be present. If that happens, do you honestly think you would even get out of that courtroom alive?"

"But… that's blackmail…" Amadeus said.

"Oh, no. It's true justice. I only hope I can be the quickest one to my wand if that happens," Vallid said, a strange cold fire burning in her cloudy grey eyes. "And if I am driven to murder, I assure you it won't be painless."

"Did… did you hear her? Guard, did you hear her threaten me?" Amadeus said.

"Hm, what's that?" said the guard standing against the bars, pretending to be distracted. "Sorry, Longbottom, I don't listen into counselor's conversations, it's all quite confidential, you know. Your three minutes is up, Counselor Vallid."

"Thank you, Harv, I'll be back at visiting hours to find out about how they coerced you into helping them, Longbottom," Vallid said. "Take good care of our war 'hero,' Harv."

"Of course, Counselor," Harvey said, walking her back to the front.

As she stepped out into the yard, she saw Aurelius and Harry lingering near the menagerie, looking in the cages with glum looks on their faces.

"I don't know who looks more caged at the moment… you or that Yeti Hound over there," Vallid said. "Don't tell me you've both changed your minds?"

"No," Aurelius said. "I'd rather have it this way than watch him get off with a slap on the hand sentence like when he kidnapped my mother."

"I know. I feel the same," Vallid said sympathetically. "And this way, we can control what information comes out."

"I hope it works. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when Jennifer and Severus find out who you came to represent," Harry said.

* * *

Severus hurried into the back, striding into the bedroom to find Jennifer already there getting ready.

"Sorry, student altercation at dinner. I barely succeeded in thwarting a major food war. Has Quintin already left?" he asked.

"Yes, Rose already picked him up. We really are running late," Jennifer admitted.

"So we'll miss the pointless mingling and banter and opening remarks. I find that part of council meetings quite tedious anyway."

"Maybe for you, but that is when I tend to find out the most information about how they feel in general about what's going on," Jennifer said, putting her comb in her hair.

"If the papers are any indication, I really don't want to know… all of this nonsense about Amadeus being a hero when what he did was cast one of the most dangerous spells we've ever encountered without any thought to the consequences," Severus growled.

"I still can hardly believe that the most basic of spells the Keepers have always used to temper dark magic was turned into such a horrible spell," Jennifer grieved, sitting on the bed. "Mallus assuredly created it with the Slytherin heirs in mind… and then decided to destroy it because he found out about our linear family line. It was just too dangerous for us."

"Yes, and it still is. The Craw line still could be wiped out with a single blow, if anyone were to cast it on your father when he was not expecting it," Severus murmured. "I've experienced many terrible spells, Jennifer, but I will admit I find this one particularly terrifying."

"Severus," Jennifer murmured, going over and hugging him tightly. They stood there quietly for a moment, until Jennifer was aware of the ticking of the clock. "You're going to vote with the council, aren't you?"

"On Bagman, yes," Severus admitted quietly. "There are only two now besides us who know that spell, and Bagman is decidedly the most dangerous of them all. Not even Azkaban stopped him, Jennifer, for all they tried. If they cannot contain him there, I fear he cannot be contained at all. He will never stop plotting as long as he has life to do so."

"But who we to decide that, really?" Jennifer asked. Severus sighed, glancing at the clock.

"This is no time to get into a political debate on that topic. Consider it the Ministry's way of exercising its right to self-defense," Severus said. "Come on, we are running late as it is."

Even though the Broom Force checkpoints were now gone from the halls of the Ministry, a great number of Enforcers still lingered there, nodding respectfully as they passed through. Much to their surprise, there were also a large number of people hanging outside of the Council Chamber as well.

"Perhaps they started late?" Jennifer wondered out loud.

"I can't fathom what might have delayed it," Severus said, glancing through the cloud. "There's Ron Weasley standing over by himself by the wall over there."

"Ron?" Jennifer called out, and Ron looked up with a nod, still standing with his arms folded and looking quite irritable. She walked over with Severus not far behind. "Good evening. We had trouble getting away from the school. Have we been missing anything?"

"Not much. Seems like the case against Amadeus has already been decided. I rather got disgusted and came out here to get away from his whining pathetic story he was spouting out on the stand," Ron admitted. "All about how he was coerced and all, I couldn't take it anymore."

"Surely the council wouldn't buy all of that," Jennifer said.

"I take it you don't know who his counselor is yet, then?" Ron said glumly. Jennifer's eyes went wide and she hurried over to the large wooden doors, cracking it open just enough so she could see the center of the council room. There on the defense side stood Lunette, glancing over a few notes near where Amadeus sat after just having sat down from his testimony.

"I don't understand," Jennifer murmured, and then looked up at Severus who had come up behind her and was staring over her shoulder. "Why? Why would she do such a thing?"

"There is Anna, perhaps she knows something," Severus said in a low voice, nodding to the observer area.

"She's saved me a seat, I had better go talk to her. And don't you dare vote for letting him off the hook, Severus," Jennifer said irritably.

"I had no intention of it," Severus said, slipping away to take his place in the Council.

Down at the prosecution table, Thomas Craw's eyes flicked up long enough to see them taking their places, but he too was busy trying to figure out why Vallid was doing such a thing. He had been expecting Jeffers to do it; which might have proved most revealing, Thomas thought with annoyance. Perhaps he would have somehow given away just how much involvement he had had in all of this. Now it was just as obvious to him as it was to everyone else that Amadeus was unlikely to receive any jail time for his part in this. If he had any doubts they were going to win, it ended when Vallid called Aurelius to the stand.

"Name and occupation?" Vallid asked with a curled lip, knowing full well everyone in that room already knew it.

"Aurelius Snape, Auror and second in charge of the Ministry's Auror Department," Aurelius said calmly. "I'm also a licensed Truth Seeker."

"And did you formally interview Amadeus as a Truth Seeker?" Vallid asked.

"Yes, at your request," Aurelius said.

"And did what you learn from him correlate with what he just testified? That he felt he had been coerced and he believed that his life was in danger?"

"Yes, he definitely believed his life was in danger," Aurelius agreed.

"Based on your professional experience with the men in question, do you think that belief was well founded?" Vallid asked.

"I can't say I can make a fair assessment on Bagman, since he's been in Azkaban for as long as I can remember," Aurelius admitted. "But both Lord Nelson and the Marquis du Foncé have been under investigation of the Law Enforcement Ministry for suspected murders and other crimes. I think it is safe to say he had good reason to think that either would turn on him if given the opportunity."

"And what of his claim that he only pretended to cast in instances where he thought someone would get injured?" Vallid said.

"There were a few incidents where he did that, yes, when he still was unsure of what was going on and thought he could get away with it. After he did that a few times, they kept a closer eye on him, though," Aurelius said, Vallid nodding for him to continue. "Actually, we had already guessed that one of the members was holding back before I even talked to him, because the strength of some of the casts were weaker than one might expect from more than one person casting the same spell at a focused target, including Professor Craw's testimony after the Plague incident at Hogwarts."

"I have that here," Vallid said, offering some papers to Bosworth to look over before turning them in. "And did Amadeus say anything about whether or not he had anything to do with the war?"

"He stated that Bagman used his connections within the Ministry to make it appear that all the vampires who were destroyed were the fault of the Ministry. Even if he had wanted to, he doesn't have the connections or the clout to do anything like that; he isn't very well liked. The only part that he played in any of that was helping Foncé destroy the vampire who was terrorizing most of the Scandinavian Peninsula, especially near Durmstrang, and that was under the direct orders of Bagman and Nelson, who pressured him to cooperate," Aurelius said.

"That was the same vampire who already had a warrant and a Cast to Kill order by the local authorities?" Vallid inquired.

"I don't know the details," Aurelius admitted. "I do know he was wanted for several brutal murders."

"Magistrate, that matter is out of our jurisdiction," Adler pointed out. "Were they to raise a complaint about it, we would gladly extradite him after he has served his time here, if any."

"If any," Jennifer whispered quietly. Anna glanced over at her. "I don't understand why they're helping him. Did she say anything about this to you?"

"No, she didn't. He did testify heavily against Bagman, though, so maybe it's a plea bargain of some kind," Anna suggested.

"Some bargain," Jennifer said in annoyance, Anna nodding to her in understanding.

"Looks like they're calling Sirius up," Anna said. Jennifer glanced around in surprise.

"Don't worry, this will be short," Vallid said when she got a dirty look from Sirius as he passed by her.

"You know how I despite court sessions," he muttered at her.

"Ready to drop that other lawsuit yet?" she asked with amusement. He pointedly ignored her, stepping into the circle.

"Sirius Black, I dabble in Wizard real estate and property development," Sirius said.

"You were at St. Mungo's the night it was destroyed, correct?"

"Yes, I heard my niece was gravely ill after a run-in with the Horsemen and I went there to make sure her father didn't try to contaminate her with that Elixir of his," Sirius said. Immediately he felt eyes boring into him from the Council and he toyed with the idea of flipping him off.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Sirius," Vallid said with a warning smile. "Were you present when Amadeus arrived?"

"Yes, it was just after the final collapse. We were all outside and he was covered with vampire bites, and appeared to be in a state."

"Have you seen such marks on a person before?" Vallid asked with a fixed gaze.

"Yes, it looked as if he had been subjected to a pact ritual," Sirius said. "He later commented that he believed Nelson set him up as a sacrifice so the vampires would leave Nelson and his interests alone."

"You said that was later. What was his initial response upon arriving?"

"He was upset because all of the vampires were gone… apparently he had not realized at that point just how thorough that nasty spell he learned could be. After he learned that he had wiped them all out, he surrendered immediately," Sirius said.

"Were you the only one there?" Vallid asked.

"No there were a bunch of us there. Pyther came out of the building looking really ill so we there were quite a few of us crowded around."

"And Professor Severus Snape was one of them, correct?"

"Yes, unfortunately," Sirius said.

"Was Amadeus surprised to see him?"

"Very much so. Apparently, he believed he was at Hogwarts and told us that Nelson had gone there to try to use the spell he cast on the vampires on Severus," Sirius said.

"So, in effect, he warned Severus about Nelson?" Vallid said.

"My guess is whatever he saw when he cast that spell must have woke him up to how bad it really was," Sirius said. "So, yeah, he told us what was going on."

"So if hadn't done that, do you think Severus would have managed to find out about what was going on in time to save his family?" Vallid said.

"Objection!" Thomas said, jumping out of his seat in outrage, while Adler looked over his shoulder at him. "That would be pure speculation on the part of Mr. Black, especially considering Snape's specialty in the Ancient Arts… Bosworth, do your job and object!"

"I'll reword it," Vallid said with a thin smile. "Mr. Black, do you feel that the information might have helped Severus save his family?"

"Yes," Sirius said simply, gazing apologetically at Thomas, who still looked quite annoyed.

"No further questions," Vallid said calmly. Thomas folded his arms. "I'd like to call Thomas Craw to the stand."

"No," Thomas said flatly, over the murmur that rose in the Council Chamber.

"Magistrate, I am allowed to call professional witnesses, regardless of whether or not they have been helping the prosecution," Vallid said. "And it is rather important to prove that my witness had no ill intent in his actions." Thomas stared at her, wondering how anything he could say would prove such a thing.

"Minister Craw? In the interests of time and justice?"

"Nothing about this case has anything to do with justice," Thomas grumbled as he stomped across the floor and into the circle.

"It will only take a moment," Vallid said with a sympathetic smile. "Minister Craw, I've been informed by more than one person that you accompanied the Minister of Magic along with a pair of Aurors to Longbottom's cell just after he was incarcerated."

"Time was of the essence. We needed to find out for certain who the fourth member of the Horsemen was as soon as possible, and we had not yet received word from the Minister of Mysteries her report on the subject," Thomas explained.

"During this encounter with him, he made an unusual plea, didn't he? About the spell he had cast?" she asked. Thomas gazed at her fixedly. Why was she bringing this up now, in open an open council hearing, of all things?

"He wanted it erased from his memory," Thomas said flatly. "He didn't think the spell should exist at all and that he didn't want to know it anymore."

"And what was your response to this?"

"None of the others wanted to do it because of personal reasons, so I volunteered," Thomas said. "However, I would like to point out that according to one of the exemptions in the law against memory spells, using them for voluntary medical or therapeutic reasons is allowed. And I found it quite therapeutic."

"I see. And why did you agree to it?"

"Because he was right in that he had no business possessing that kind of knowledge," Thomas said.

"So you believe then that it was the right thing to do?"

"I wouldn't have volunteered otherwise," he agreed.

"And why do you think he was so eager to get rid of it?" she asked.

"Because he's a coward," Thomas said, raising his voice so that everyone can hear it. "He didn't kill the vampires because he's some kind of hero, he did it to save his own ass. He may very well have been threatened into cooperating with the others, but I don't see how that makes him any less of a criminal for his actions. The only reason he's now brave enough to testify against Bagman is because he knows that Bagman is more than likely going to be sentenced to death anyway. His only loyalty is to himself and always has been. Personally, I think we'd all be better of if he was rotting in jail for the rest of his life, especially considering he is on parole and should have been thrown back in Azkaban from the start."

"But at the same time, you admit that he was probably coerced?" Vallid asked.

"Of course he was. He wouldn't have had the nerve to do any of it on his own," Thomas said irritably. "But he still deserves to be put in Azkaban for his actions."

"Thank you, Minister," Vallid said with a respectful nod. "No further questions."

Thomas glared at her in annoyance as she walked away, wondering if anyone had heard him at all. Just then, he thought he heard something and found himself looking down at the back of her shoes. That was when he noticed an elaborate red tattoo on the back of one of her ankles. So… she was in whatever pact that Harry and Aurelius made, he realized… and all of them seemed to get irritable anytime they were near Amadeus. Why was she helping him now, he wondered, broodingly going back to his seat as Adler began to prattle on about what he should put in his ending remarks.

"It doesn't matter what you say, really, he's going to be let go," Thomas said distractedly. "The Council didn't want to convict the 'hero' that ended the war anyway, and now they have enough evidence that he was coerced and not a public threat that they have no reason to keep him."

"I still find it highly irritating that Counselor Vallid came all this way to make certain he was let go. Anyone could probably have handled this case and made the same arguments," Adler complained.

"Yes, who would they go to so much trouble for?" Thomas mused.

"I quite agree, it doesn't seem likely that they'd do it for Longbottom… they?" Adler said, wondering who else they were referring to.

It was almost as if they were protecting someone, Thomas thought to himself, glancing at her feet with a frown. But who would they go to that sort of length to protect? Aurelius would go this far and more to protect a member of the family, and Harry would as well for any one of the Snapes. But Vallid was an expert at picking and choosing her battles, and although she had come to other's defense in the past, only one of the family would she drop everything for… let alone get into any sort of dark pact to protect. Even as Adler went up to speak, Thomas glanced up searchingly at the observation area until he spotted Jennifer, sitting next to Anna with a hurt expression on her face, obviously confused and as angry as he had been when Vallid first took the floor. But now everything made sense to him, and he sat back in his chair, watching without listening as Adler made his speech and sat down with a look of resignation on his face.

"Well, at least I don't think this one will be unanimous," Adler decided as Vallid stepped up.

"No, definitely not. Bagman's will be, however," Thomas said quietly. "Even his supporters wouldn't dare revealing themselves by not standing. I think I'm going to get some air."

"You're not staying for the actual vote?" Adler said.

"No point," Thomas said with a shrug, slipping out as quietly as possible despite the fact that practically everyone in the room saw him leave. They would see it as a protest, he knew… and perhaps in a way, it was. Others still lingered in the halls as well, but he managed to get to the corner with the coffee and tea service and arrest what was left of the coffee before walking over to the other side of the hall where a square pillar partially hid him from view.

It wasn't long before the vote was called and people began to file out for a break. Most of them seemed rather content with how it turned out, but Thomas also noticed a few disgruntled faces in the crowd; mostly those who worked closely with the Ministry or residents of Hogsmeade who didn't quite buy into the story. Finally Amadeus came out, followed by a pair of eager reporters and several members of the council, none of which knew him very well and none from the Society at all.

"It sounds as if you went through quite a trial, Mr. Longbottom," one of them said respectfully. "We are grateful that you were able to turn things around in the end."

"Yes, I think in essence, you saved yourself that night, sir. But you also saved the rest of us as well," another said. Thomas rolled his eyes. Do they really think this was some sort of act of redemption? Thomas was quite sure that Amadeus wasn't going to change because of the incident.

"Thank you, but I would not have cast such a spell if I had known how far it would go," Amadeus said.

"No respectable wizard would, and we commend you for your decision to get rid of it. That takes a lot of character," The older of the two said.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Thomas said, leaning on the pillar. The two reporters and councilmen greeted him warmly, but Amadeus nearly jumped out of his boots. "Might I have a moment, Mr. Longbottom? I would like to congratulate you on winning your case as well," he said dryly.

"Actually, we were going to go out for some dinner…" Amadeus explained quickly.

"Would you care to join us?" one of the Councilmen asked politely.

"Thank you, no. As you know, I have another trial tomorrow," Thomas said.

"Oh, yes, bad business that. We are not looking forward to it, but we shall do our duty," he replied solemnly.

"This will only take a moment," Thomas said, and then beckoned Amadeus over with one finger. Reluctantly, Amadeus walked over, careful not to get too close to him.

"Yes, Minister Craw?" Amadeus said.

"A warning, Longbottom. If you break your parole again for any reason, I will make sure you receive full punishment. And if I hear of you getting within ten miles of my daughter again, whether you claim it was an accident or not, I will kill you where you stand…or should I say, writhe?" Thomas said coldly. "And you'd be a suicidal idiot if you ever come to my office looking for assistance again. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, and I had already suspected as much," Amadeus said evenly. "Although I could complain to Draco about you threatening me."

"Craws don't threaten, and we only give one warning," Thomas quoted without hesitation. "Don't think you are free just because you are walking away today."

Suddenly, everyone heard the WHOOOOOOT sound of Revere, especially Amadeus and Thomas who were standing right near where the large horned owl had landed. Quite a number of people then began filing out of the council chamber to see what was going on as Thomas snatched the note away, glanced at the front of it then opened it. Immediately, he began cussing up a storm so vehemently that he could have curdled milk.

"What's wrong, Minister?" Percy asked as he came out, followed by Draco and Adler.

"That damn bastard managed to escape Azkaban, that's what's wrong! Two guards down, one with serious injuries after trying to follow him… apparently he managed to procure a wand to stun the guards and then scaled down the prison wall near the exercise yard. Is Hinge still in the council chamber?" Thomas asked.

"I'll go get him, Minister," Percy said, hurrying back in.

"Get those Aurors out here too, while you're at it, they have work to do," Draco barked.

"Bagman? Bagman has escaped Azkaban?" Amadeus stammered, turning green and looking almost as if he was going to faint. "But… what if he comes after me? What if he finds out I just testified against him?"

"That's your problem," Thomas said. "I'm going to need all the men I can get to find him, I'm not wasting any on you and for some reason I doubt Potter would be willing to either. Besides, you're the 'hero'," Thomas snarled.

"Damn it!" Hinge exclaimed the moment he got into the hall. By the time he got there, Harry, Aurelius and Tonks were all talking to Draco as well. "One day. I had ONE day off in three weeks, and they let him escape! I'd better get to work."

"I'll come with you," Thomas said.

"Aurelius, you and Tonks better go ahead. I'm going to grab Laura and be over there as soon as I let Jamie know what's going on," Harry said.

"Andrew, why don't you round up whatever staff came tonight and inform them that we're going to go lock down the school," Severus suggested.

"Right," Andrew said, slipping back inside.

"I don't suppose Bagman has any rogue House Elves we have to worry about?" Jennifer asked.

"What happened to the one Nelson had?" Anna asked.

"Mercy managed to track him down and put a spell on him so he can't come back… to Hogwarts or our house," Jennifer said. "I only hope he finds a new owner that is a bit more stable than the last one."

"We had best be going," Severus said, and the two of them quickly made their way towards reception.

"You don't think they're going to find them, do you?" Jennifer said.

"No, I don't. This escape was premeditated and perfectly executed, although why he waited for tonight I cannot imagine," Severus mused.

"It makes perfect sense. Most of his enemies were here, which is as far away from Azkaban as one can get without leaving the country," Jennifer said.

"Yes, I suppose you have a point. Either way, I don't think anyone will see him for a long time," Severus said. "Hopefully, long enough for us to come up with a counterspell to block the one he just escaped with."

"In that case, we still have a lot of work to do," Jennifer said.

"So what else is new?" Severus said dryly.


	42. On to New Adventures

_A/N Second (and last) chapter in 24 hours... so if you're not sure what happened to Amadeus, back up one ;)_

Forty-Two

On To New Adventures

It had been just over six weeks, and no one had heard from Bagman. Not a single clue was left, nor any of the countless interviews with Peter, Jeffers, or the society members revealed anything, even under the scrutiny of Aurelius. Wherever he had gone Bagman had gone alone, and Severus was quite certain wherever he had ended up, it was comfortable and well supplied. Perhaps he had taken on a new identity and had given up the idea of vengeance all together but there was no way anyone could know for certain.

After time went on and nothing else happened, the newspapers turned to more trivial matters; the Oracle talking mostly about Longbottom's plan to "reorganize" his companies into something more centralized, while the Prophet was mainly interviewing legal specialists about the upcoming Black vs. Snape lawsuit. Even local bookies appeared to be getting into the act, rating the outcome 8-1 in favor of Black.

Severus scowled at the mention of it in one of the letters to the editor and promptly wadded up the paper and threw it into the fire. He then walked into his sitting room, taking the pipe out of the smoky crystal ashtray and dumping the ashes out. The curtain from the study parted, and Jennifer walked in with some papers in hand.

"I have the recent tests for you to look over. You're not planning to smoke in here with him in here, are you?" Jennifer said, pointing over at Quintin. He was standing with the help of the crib bars as support and was chewing contentedly on the rail.

"No, I just thought I would clean it, is all," Severus said distractedly, getting out a clean cloth. "Is that the test data on the time distortion field?"

"I just said it was," Jennifer said with a sigh, watching him clean the ashtray. "I don't suppose you've tried simply apologizing to Sirius?"

"I did," Severus said irritably. "He told me it was too late for that."

"Well, I suppose it is," Jennifer decided. "But I do admit the whole thing seems rather silly now, considering everything that's happened since the night you saved him from that Plague spell. If I got anything out of this whole mess, it was not to think of any spell as 'harmless.'"

"Or any other type of magic, for that matter," Severus said, meticulously polishing the ashtray. "Such as the Stone, for example… it is a useful tool if not abused, but it is also rather easy to get used to its presence and the Elixir that one can craft from it. It keeps us young but by no means is any guarantee of extended life. And even that might have been a curse had you and the others been Erased."

"You would have by no means been alone, Severus," Jennifer reminded him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Corey, Lucky and Leu would still be there for you, instilled with those same Snape values and every bit a part of family as the rest of us."

"Yes, that is true," Severus said distantly, holding up the crystal ashtray to the light. "So, are we ready to give this thing up?"

"The smoking, or the ashtray?" Jennifer asked with a chuckle as Severus turned the Philosopher's Stone back into its original form. "Besides, you can't be too sure that you're going to lose tomorrow, can you?" Severus gave her a dirty look.

Arnold Jeffers had had a positively miserable month filled with LE officers breathing down his neck in hopes of getting information. But as interest in the case picked up in the papers, Abraxus and some of the other wealthier members of the society began to get interested in him again, and he found himself well taken care of with plenty of time to study before the case.

Tim Weasley looked as if he barely slept at all, and seemed quite anxious, especially when he realized that the courtroom (although much smaller than the council chamber) was packed with spectators. A great many of them were people who hated Snape with only a small support group behind the Headmaster.

But Severus was used to this sort of reception any time he was a defendant in the courtroom and was quite calm and collected. Nor did he seem to regret his decision in hiring Tim, despite the number of snickers the boy had gotten when he came into the courtroom with items falling out of his crumpled jacket and papers flying out from unkempt folders he had stacked on several books in his arms. Rob March came in behind him, quickly picking up the papers and quills without a word and helping him unload at the table where Severus was already waiting.

"Sorry," Tim said sheepishly, quite conscientious of the jeering still going on from the other side of the room.

"For what, being a Weasley?" Severus asked expressionlessly. "Simply do whatever you can with this case to the best of your ability… and don't apologize to me again."

"Right… sor… right, sir," Tim said, taking the folder that Rob handed to him.

Then Severus leaned back and became rather quiet, listening quite intently to the proceedings with an expression that gave no hints whatsoever to how he felt about it. In fact, he was more focused on his counselor's efforts rather than on the case itself. Tim had gone into a long spiel about how many the Stone had saved over the years. Quite a number of them mentioned were people that Dumbledore had saved; some that Severus had never even realized it had been used upon, such as Arthur and Molly (although it did explain a lot), while others (such as Tonks, Lupin, and especially Olympe Hagrid,) that Severus was quite surprised Tim had managed to find out about. All of the ones that Dumbledore had saved other than Jennifer happened in the dark years before Voldemort had died, and it brought back harsh memories and curious feelings.

It had been a long time since the sharp, stabbing pain that used to happen when he thought of them had faded away; they had been replaced by strong feelings of regret for the missteps he would never be able to atone for completely. But as deep as they were, he had come to realize that everyone had some of those in their past… the echoes of one's conscience that drives an individual to a new level of awareness that all actions had their consequences. He glanced up briefly to see Jennifer smiling warmly at him in understanding. Such a road they had traveled… even since that fateful day that she had revealed that the Stone still existed… fate, such as he now believed in. And yet, as much as they had accomplished so far, there was yet so much to do… so much left that it overwhelmed him to think of trying to get it all done in a single lifetime…

"And consider this, Magistrate," Tim said, his tone so much louder than it had been a moment ago that it pulled Severus out of his thoughts. Tim was pacing a bit as he tried to stay one step ahead of his own argument, but his anxiety had eased and his expression was one of determination. "Those who oppose the Stone and the Elixir because they believe it goes against the balance of nature fail to acknowledge the fact that the dark wizards and creatures of this world have dozens of ways to prolong life; most of which involve harming others to do so. Other than the luck of having the right ancestry, we who fight those forces have but one method; the Elixir of Life, which exists to save those who defend against those dark wizards and creatures such as Voldemort, Ciardoth, and so many other threats that have plagued us… none of which could have been defeated without those saved by the Elixir in the past."

Sirius, who had been leaning back quite casually in his chair with his arms folded for most of the proceedings (with facial expressions and eye rolls that proved much more revealing to Rob) suddenly stomped on Jeffers' foot, making him leap up suddenly. But the counselor quickly recovered.

"Magistrate, what the young Assistant Counselor has spoken is all quite true, and although my client played a part in that, his motives were driven only to look after his godson and later his family, and perhaps to put to rights some matters inflicted on him in the past by this very court system. He has not now, nor ever acted solely for the 'good of all wizard kind' and has had no wish to become anything other than a contractor and a family man. And despite the omission, the Elixir does exact a price; an obligation to live on for the very purpose of fighting for the so-called 'good' side for their extended lives."

"Sir, that is a self-imposed condition, not a true obligation," Tim said. "The truth of the matter is that those saved by it already have dedicated their lives to serve… what they do with their lives is their choice. The item may have been created so that one man could finish more than a lifetime worth of work to further our knowledge of alchemy, but that doesn't mean everyone chooses to use it that way."

"Assistant Weasley, do you believe that your client would knowingly use the Elixir on anyone who was not a person of good conscience?" Jeffers asked.

"Of course he wouldn't," Tim said.

"And wouldn't any man of good conscience who had drank it, whether voluntary or not, feel obligated to use such borrowed time for something greater than one man can normally accomplish? And what about the burden and hardship they bear when they must watch others around them age naturally while they stay the same, what of that? It is not a potion without dire consequences, and not one to be taken lightly… certainly not something that should be squandered. Magistrates, my client made it clear on more than one occasion that he did not want this burden. That it was forced upon him without any thought to his wishes is nothing short of irresponsible," Jeffers said. "I have plenty of testimonies that show that on more than one occasion, my client made it perfectly clear that he did not want this to happen to him."

"Is it really such a crime to save a man's life?" Tim immediately rebutted. "My client's sister and Black's wife had pleaded with Severus to save Black if it was within his power. Who truly would do less under the circumstances? I dare anyone here put themselves in that same position and attempt to choose anything other than saving him. If anyone is a man of good conscience, I believe my own client has proven time and again that he is. How can any man of good conscience walk away from a dying man knowing that is in within his power to stop it?"

"We are all dying, Magistrate, from the moment we are born. Is he then going to give potions to us all?" Jeffers said. "I think not, though in some ways it may be fairer, it is not only unfeasible, but even more dangerous to the balance of nature than a thousand vampires could be. People would line up for miles just for a taste of it, and the majority of them having no better reason to continue living than their own fear of death. Such an object should not be taken lightly, and should never be used against someone's will. That is why my client wishes for the Stone to be removed from Headmaster Snape's hands."

The magistrate held up a hand, both counselors immediately quieting down.

"Counselor Jeffers, I understand your client's concern, but I hope that you understand that I am concerned for what might happen to the Stone if anyone but the current owner has it, even if he has acted irresponsibly in this case. What exactly does your client intend to do with the Stone once it is in his possession?" Magistrate Enoch asked.

"He plans to have it destroyed, Magistrate, so that it can no longer be abused by the Headmaster, or anyone else," Jeffers said. A murmur went up in the crowd, although Severus noticed that few of the society seemed surprised. "Nothing that prolongs life could be considered 'good,' Magistrate."

"Does that include doctors, nurses, hospitals, and any medicine one might take, Magistrate? Are they all evil as well?" Tim said. "This is simply a type of medicine, albeit a powerful one."

"Even when it comes to medicine, the patient has the right to choose whether or not they wish to take it, Counselor Weasley," the magistrate reminded him, straightening all the testimonies and other facts and evidence they had placed on his desk. "I believe I shall take a short break to review all of these before deliberating."

"I don't like that. It sounds like he has already made up his mind," Rob murmured quietly. Severus simply nodded, having observed that himself, as well as the rather deflated look on Timothy's face and the smug one on Jeffers as they went back to their tables.

"Don't say it," Severus warned in a low voice before Tim could even open his mouth. "You did perfectly well."

"If you believe that, Professor, you are seeing something that I do not," Tim sighed, sitting down.

"So when do you plan on taking your test on becoming a full counselor, Timothy?" Severus asked, unconcerned.

"I'm not certain I'm ready for it, if this hearing is any indication," Timothy said with a sigh. "In the fall, perhaps."

"Yes, well, please inform me if you pass it… the school could use a counselor," Severus said evenly. Tim stared at him.

"Sir, you do realize we are going to lose this case?" Timothy asked seriously.

"Yes, I know," Severus said. "But the fact of the matter is that despite everything you said…the same things that I would have said had I been defending myself… I did cross the line that day. It was not my place to decide, nor should I have felt obligated to save him knowing that was not what he wanted. But don't you dare tell him I said that if you want a job."

"No, never," Tim said quickly, too stunned to offer any more and too afraid that he would mess it up to speak again.

Half the court was surprised about how short a time it took for the Magistrate to return. The other half was surprised it had taken so long. As the rest of the court settled back into their seats, Severus and Timothy didn't bother; standing at the desk with the books neatly stacked as they had not been from the beginning and everything ready to be taken home. The other desk was also clear; but Jeffers and Sirius were two of the last in the courtroom, having stopped across the street for a quick drink first before returning. Severus rolled his eyes, but after that he simply sighed and gazed towards the front emotionlessly. Timothy's expression, however, was quite crestfallen; and strangely enough, so was the expression of the magistrate when he finally settled into place.

"On the surface, this case is quite straight forward; someone is potioned against their wishes, and he seeks damages of some kind. Typically, the offended party asks for the license of the offending alchemist or medical practitioner to be revoked, which of course, would be handled by their ethics committees, or perhaps some monetary compensation, which puts it under my jurisdiction. In this case, it is property compensation, and although that too falls into my job and in petty court… the property in this case anything but petty," Enoch said seriously, glancing between them both and finally landing on Sirius.

"Even though the judgment I must give is quite plain, I am concerned about the item in question. My personal belief is that it should stay with its current owner, regardless of the fact that yes, he did act knowingly against your wishes and he of all people knows the ramifications of such a decision. As much as I am concerned about it leaving his hands, I am also concerned about the idea of destroying it as well. Such things should not be taken so lightly or out of anger. Therefore, it is my personal suggestion that you find a safe place to keep it for the time being, until which time you might come up with an agreement with the original owner to some other form of compensation. Is it of equal balance to your claim? Legally, yes. I only hope that you, who ask for it to be handled responsibly, will handle it responsibly yourself, Mr. Black.

"The judgment is in favor of the plaintiff; but such a powerful item needs certain regulations as to how it is to be handled. The Stone must either be destroyed, or stay with him until which time he may return it to its original owner. If it does not, the Ministry will have the right to confiscate the Stone and prosecute whoever is wielding it for illegal handling of a controlled magical item. I suggest you fill out all necessary licensing paperwork before you leave today, Mr. Black," Magistrate Enoch added.

"No need for it. My mind is quite made up. It is to be destroyed," Sirius said, claiming his prize as the Magistrate stood, signaling the end of the decision. The crowd began to talk excitedly; some in loud favor of the decision while others expressing outrage. A large group of members from the society, including Coventry and Balmweed hurried over to congratulate Sirius.

"Thank you both," Severus said to Tim and Rob as he stood.

"I rather don't know what to say since you don't want me to apologize," Timothy admitted.

"There is no reason to," Severus said, then glanced back at where Jennifer and Anna were sitting. They were too busy talking at the moment, but neither one of them looked particularly happy. Anna stood up as he approached.

"I really think you're both going too far this time. I tried to talk him out of it but sometimes he can be just as stubborn as we are," Anna said. "Not to mention every time I bring it up he reminds me that I was the one who asked… it's as if sometimes he thinks that it's a crime that I love him."

"Perhaps he does think that way, but I am not going to get involved with that… not at the moment, anyway. We made our decisions and must stand by them whether they were wrong or not, as he must stand by his," Severus said.

"So you're going to get philosophical? You make it sound like you believe it was the wrong thing to do now…" Anna said.

"Yes, it was," Severus admitted. "Although if had I known about all of this before, I probably would have still given it to him. I'd simply have been more discreet," Severus decided, holding out his arm just enough so that Jennifer would take it. She gazed at him searchingly as they waded through the crowd, and with a bit of skill and a dash of luck, the two managed to slip out without either reporter finding them.

Andrew was snoring loudly in an armchair when they arrived back in his sitting room, but he woke up with a start when they stepped into the room. Blearily, he glanced between the crib and the clock before sitting up to stretch his aching back.

"How did it go? Did it get held over?" he asked with a yawn.

"No, it is quite done," Severus said quietly. "Sirius has the Stone now, assuming he didn't have it destroyed while he was still at the Ministry."

"What?" Andrew said, blinking a bit. "I don't believe he'd actually do that. No matter how angry he might be with you, Uncle Sirius wouldn't take it out on something that can't be replaced, especially something Dumbledore entrusted you to keep safe."

"I know. I would have thought he would have cooled off enough that he would have dropped this whole matter by now," Jennifer sighed. "But no matter how much Anna, Harry or the children tried, he wouldn't let it go."  
"That part doesn't surprise me so much. If they began arguing with him right away, it'd only have made him more determined to go through with it. But destroy it? Surely you don't believe it, Mum," Andrew said.

"His back was to me all through the trial, but it was obvious he was determined. I know what little I've seen of him while that he's been debating it, but I do agree it isn't like him," Jennifer admitted.

"What about recreating it?" Andrew asked.

"Many of Witolf's formulas were confiscated by Lucius Malfoy at the time of death. No one knows what happened to them after that," Severus said.

"I remember that now," Andrew murmured.

"On top of that, knowing the old man, I doubt any of those formulas were complete. He more than likely simply kept some of it to himself. Even if we were persuade Albus to help us and all of his work were in one place, it would be quite unlikely to reconstruct the exact set of conditions to remake it," Severus said.

"Well, at least you have a decent stockpile of Elixir, right?" Andrew said.

"One might think so," Severus said, getting into a cabinet for a wine decanter. "You should probably head out and get some rest. I'm sure it'll be a long day tomorrow with students nosing about in papers instead of doing their work."

"Thank you for watching Quintin, Andrew," Jennifer said, checking on Quintin.

"No problem," Andrew said, slipping out the side door.

"I'm surprised you didn't tell him," Jennifer ventured, gazing at him fixedly. But Severus was partially turned away from her, pouring a glass.

"Tell him what?"

"The true shelf life of an Elixir after it's finished. You could stockpile all you liked and it wouldn't matter in a week," Jennifer said.

"There's no real reason to worry everyone, is there?" Severus replied. "I have something I need to finish before I go to bed tonight, so I'm going to the study for a bit. Why don't you go on in and get settled and I'll join you in a moment or two?"

"I suppose I could, if you're certain you don't need me for anything…" Jennifer said.

"No baiting," Severus said, opening the door and pulling back the curtain.

"You're right. I'm tired," Jennifer said, playing at a yawn. "I'll probably fall right asleep the moment I'm in bed. Or is that what it is you want me to do?"

"I suppose you'll just have to wait until I get in there to find out," he said, pulling the door shut. Jennifer squinted.

"So, he closed the door, did he?" she said to herself, then went into her sitting room to find her Portable Hole.

Severus strode into the Study, waving both doors open before setting his glass on the desk and pouring himself a cup of coffee instead. He took out his watch and calculated the time, glancing thoughtfully at one of the hands as it swept from Ministry to Home. He then looked at his appointment book and at his watch again with a scowl.

"Sirius Black is on his way up, Headmaster," Armando warned him.

"I see that. Stairs or Door Lift?" he asked, and then heard someone humming Scott Joplin. "Never mind, he seems to have taken the Lift," Severus said, glancing up just as a very smug Sirius Black stepped into the office and flamboyantly closed the doors, still humming.

"So… Headmaster Severus Snape had to appear in court and was found guilty of negligence. Everyone in the entire court room… no… everyone in the wizard community in the whole country will know by tomorrow morning that you were wrong and I was right," Sirius said with elation.

"Are you finished gloating yet?" Severus said.

"No, no, still basking in the moment. I should have brought a camera to capture your woeful expression on filn so that Alicia could paint it for me later," Sirius went on, ignoring the testily drumming fingers on the table.

"Did you destroy it already or not?" Severus asked impatiently.

"Yes, it's done. I went straight to Artifacts right after with a whole slew of witnesses from the society with me as well as reporters and a few from the Ministry. It was a beautiful disintegration. Pity that you missed it. And a pity for all of them for not having any time at all to get a closer inspection on that crystal before it was destroyed," Sirius added, putting the real Stone into the hand Severus held out as a not-so-subtle hint. Severus then glanced at it carefully. "Don't you trust me?" Sirius said.

"No," Severus said flatly, then looked around thoughtfully.

"What are you going to change it into this time?" he asked.

"I'm not certain… I'm half tempted to hide it where I had been hiding it before," Severus said thoughtfully.

"Don't you think Jennifer will be suspicious?" Sirius asked.

"She's already suspicious," Severus admitted.

"Actually, so is Anna. She knew perfectly well what I really wanted all along was for you to admit to publicly admit to the world that you made a mistake…"

"Must you go on about it?" Severus snapped.

"Well, you kept your half of the bargain, and I kept mine. And I also agree with you that the less people who know it's not destroyed the better, family included. But I still don't think we can keep it from our wives. Especially from yours."

"Sirius, I do happen to know a touch about Occlumency, you know. I am sure that I can manage."

"I wasn't talking her Truth Seeking ability, Severus. I was talking more about her husband-is-up-to-something seeking, as evident by the fact that half of her seems to be in the room already," Sirius pointed out. Severus immediately whirled around to see Jennifer's top half through the locked door, her arms pushing back the curtains and a rather annoyed expression.

"Oh," said Severus.

* * *

"I hate graduating," Gary March declared, as they settled into place the the Owl table. "Now we're going to have to face reality, join the work force, and grind, grind, grind for the rest of our lives."

"But you've spent the entire year talking about going to Enforcer training. Have you changed your mind?" Leu asked with concern.

"No," Gary sighed. "But I am going to miss the luxury of being lazy. Lucky and Ambrose are lucky because they get to go back to school."

"You think school isn't work? College is tough," Lucky said.

"So you're going after all?" Paula asked.

"Oh, yeah. The Professor handed me my acceptance letter right after I finished my NEWTS," Lucky said dryly. "Apparently he's had it for a while and wanted to make sure I finished out well here. I even got a scholarship because my STEP was so high."

"Brilliant, congrats, Lucky," Pimra said with a smile. "Ambrose, you're going to Whitebridge, right?"

"Yes, to take some extra classes, and to assist one of the teachers there as well," Ambrose said. "Gosh, I'm going to miss Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, and being home. But it is a great adventure, all the same."

"Don't worry, I'll be there," Connie said with a smile. Ambrose looked around in surprise.

"You're going to Whitebridge too?" Ambrose asked brightly.

"Well, only for a semester, I'm afraid. My father is getting me a job in the family services department at the Ministry, and he suggested I pick up a couple of courses in psychology," Connie explained.

"Good. Maybe if you're in the Ministry, he won't be pressing me so hard to be in the Ministry too," Lena said with a scrunched up nose.

"Fortunately, we still have a whole year to decide," Mike said. "Speaking of which, when are we going to tally up the votes to find out who the new chairman and vice are?"

"Actually, I already have," Ambrose admitted with a grin. "But first thing is first. Who had the most feathers this year?"

"I rather think that would be obvious," Dirk said proudly.

"So it is," Boulderdash said with a snarling grin. "Your Owl pin, Mr. Atchinson." Everyone immediately clapped and cheered, Dirk getting up and getting his pin with a thin but pleased smile, pinning it onto his tie and sitting back down. "So, who are our new leaders, Mr. Tinker?"

"For assistant chairman, I would like to introduce Hope Willowby!" Ambrose said.

"Well, that ought to keep things shook up around here," Gary grinned, while Hope beamed happily.

"And the chairman, with a unanimous vote, I might add, if you don't count his own vote for Hope, that is… Llewellyn Murphy!" Ambrose said.

Leu blinked in complete shock, while everyone else including Noah and a couple of other observing ghosts clapped as well.

"Me? Why me?" Leu said.

"It was obvious! We wanted someone young and original who would bring in a different perspective and unique ideas," Ambrose said.

"He definitely has a different perspective," Lucky smirked.

"Everyone needs to finish up so you can get to dinner," Boulderdash reminded them.

"Maybe we should just skip," Gary said.

"Oh, no you don't. I don't skip out when Gryffindor wins one, you can stick out a Slytherin win," Dirk said.

"We were overdue if you ask me," Lena said, getting up.

"Come on, everyone is going," Ambrose said, opening the door, smiling at each member one by one as they left. Boulderdash hopped down and waited beside him as everyone went out, Lucky and Connie bringing up the rear and calling out to him when he didn't come out right away. Instead, he was looking over the Owl Room from the feather box to chairs and table, letting out a deep sigh. "Is everything going to be all right when we're gone. Is everything going to say the same?" he asked.

"Stay the same? I think not," Boulderdash snorted. "But if you are wondering about the Order itself, I believe it is here to stay. At least it will be as long as the Headmaster and I are here… and then after that, I think others will pick up the torch. It was a great addition to this campus, Mr. Tinker. As are all of the projects the Owls have added over the years, including the new boathouse."

"I love the new boathouse… pity that Noah no longer seems to care about it now that it's so different. He just wants to stay in Hufflepuff," Ambrose grinned.

"Oh? Oh, well, we needed a new one anyway," Boulderdash shrugged, following him out and walking with him to the Great Hall.

Professor Craw turned and smiled warmly at them as they came in, although most of them were more interested in staring at Quintin, who was getting a very early preview of the Great Hall from his mother's lap. Several of the other staff members were making faces at him to try to get him to react, or casting minor spells when Severus wasn't looking in their direction, making everything from stuffed giraffes to pinwheels and balloons appear in front of him only to poof away the moment he turned to talk to Craw, who was pretending like nothing was going on. Some of the students were chuckling at the antics, while Don was debating if telling his father about it would do any good.

"Exactly what is he doing at the faculty table?" Severus wanted to know as he stepped over to his seat, looking at Jennifer disapprovingly.

"He is a school guest," Jennifer explained with a smile. Severus squinted.

"I didn't approve any guests for this event," Severus said with certainly.

"Actually, according to school policy, in the event that the Headmaster cannot approve such a request in time for an event to take place, a senior staff member need only to clear it through the Deputy Headmaster," Jennifer said smoothly. Severus looked over at Hermione, who was hiding a smile, then back at Jennifer again.

"I don't remember not being available at any point today."

"Actually, you were in the shower when I thought to ask," Jennifer said innocently. "Care to remove him? Although I rather don't see much of a point now that all the students have seen him up here, do you?"

"I'll deal with you later," Severus growled. "That goes for you too," he added, glancing sideways in the other direction at Hermione. But Hermione simply called the students to order, thus ending the conversation. Severus began to wander to the other side of the table.

"I see we have all managed to survive another year," Severus said, wandering past each table before going back over to stand in front of the table. "A rather long one for me, but I know it probably flew by for some of you. It's strange, isn't it? We have always heard that time is relative in a physical sense, and yet sometimes that relativity seems much more personal. You can spend an afternoon on a project and feel as if you've been working for hours and yet the clock hasn't moved more than a half an hour; and yet other times, you find yourself wondering where the time has gone. One moment I'm sitting at a café next to a plate of chocolate pancakes, and then in the blink of an eye, seven years pass before my eyes. The sturdy little thicket of thorns struggling to free itself of the weeds has become the rose it was always meant to be," he said, glancing over at Lucky, who rolled her eyes and shook her head at him with a smile.

"But then, I suppose it is no surprise. Time does not stand still, no matter how slow it may seem to move; and everything changes. Some of those changes are harder than others; some of them are downright cruel, but without them, we cannot progress. I hope, however, that one of the things you take away from this school is that change is inevitable; how one deals with those changes will determine how well you will fare in life. Even though the year has ended, and for some of you that means also that your time at Hogwarts has come to an end, there will be new adventures around the corner, new trials to conquer, and new beginnings to unfold. Even for those of us who are staying, every year brings some new adventure," he said in a tone that sounded as if he wasn't quite sure if that should be a positive statement or not. Some of the students grinned at his reaction, including Leu and Noah.

"Thank you all for your constant support, and I hope to see you all again soon. Until then, be safe. No getting carried away with spells you shouldn't be casting without supervision and being swept away by brooms or drowned by a common cleaning spell or anything of that sort. Good luck to all of you, I'm sure you'll know where I'll be should you have need of me," he added, walking back over to his seat. He gestured for the meal to begin and sat down, part of him wondering where his cup was. A moment later, he was wondering where his plate was too.

"Perhaps the House Elves didn't see you gesture?" Hermione suggested.

"Let the feast begin," Severus said distinctly, and glanced around, the students staring back at him and waiting for something to happen.

That was when he noticed that some of the floating candles above the tables were looking a bit wobbly. They fell to the floor, snuffing out as they hit, the light in the room dimming dramatically as a result. Quintin pierced through the sudden silence with a hearty giggle. All of the students began talking at once.

"Does this count as a new adventure?" Jennifer asked mischievously above the surprised chatter of the students. Severus propped his head up with his arm in resignation.

"You know, this really wasn't the sort of ending I had in mind," he complained.

"You're the one who pointed out there are no real endings, Severus," Jennifer reminded him.

"Yes, I suppose that's true," Severus said, impatiently waiting for his plate to finally appear.

End Book Six, Series 4

* * *

_Finally done, and finally time for me to take a break. I don't expect the break to be the two-year that I took before book 7 came out; (I didn't know at that point how I would feel about my series then… unfortunately, I seem to have gotten really attached to my version… aka I like my version of year 5 on better.) but the series will be backburnered, the priority being some of my own stuff that I have been, honestly, working on and off for thirty years or so… some of it ideas that never left the idea sheet or first couple chapters… a trilogy I wrote that I've been ignoring because I originally wrote it on paper and loathe the idea of getting it all on the computer…as well as various other stories I have set in three very distinct detailed worlds (I do mean detailed, being that I gamed D&D since it was in pamphlet form and did quite a bit of mapping.) SO we'll see how it goes. I may send two of those series out and one do a web-based thing so I can have more control over it, still mulling that one over. More than likely, if anything interesting happens with the original fic I'll throw it in my next book, if there is one… I think there will be._

_ Because I still have many stories in my head… of Leu and Noah and Quintin… of Jennifer needing to rescue Lunette after an unexpected disappearance… of Ambrose coming back to Hogwarts… of the Coventry twins grown up, one Auror…and one quite the opposite. Of Charles the Third hitting the Hogwarts limelight…what happens to Bagman and Amadeus… and then there is Quintin… whom even at birth those who knew the Snapes were putting coins in the age poll of when he'll reach the Chamber of Secrets…_

_ But another book will be a while before coming… I will work on it randomly as I find time, or if I get stuck on the other stories, or sick of editing, or bogged down in the sheer work of original writing. Therefore, the next Jennifer book will most likely be completed before I even contemplate putting it up here, because I'm not going to want to juggle more than one deadline, even if this one is more a personal commitment. I also may do some more shorts similar to _Beyond the Walls_ and _Christmas Carol Troll_ and such. My suggestion to anyone interested in anything new is to keep me on authors alert. Or if you're not, that is okay too… I will still write it, because whether I like her books 5-7 or not, I do love this world, and I also love my own characters, so shall write it regardless._

_ Thank you all for reading my stories. I hope to see you all again, and until then, take care._

_JCWriter._


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